| Australian | 2976 |
| Italian | 1100 |
| Burgundy | 658 |
| Imported | 622 |
| Bordeaux | 370 |
| New Zealand | 341 |
| Champagne | 340 |
| Rhone | 225 |
| Sauternes / Barsac | 171 |
| France | 154 |
| Chablis | 138 |
| Spirits | 49 |
| Port | 34 |
| Whisky | 22 |
| Total Lots: | 7200 |
| CAPE MENTELLE | 2008 |
| EVANS & TATE | 1999 |
| MOSS WOOD Glenmore Vineyard | 1998 |
| MOSS WOOD Glenmore Vineyard | 1998 |
| PENFOLDS Grange | 1997 |
| PENFOLDS Grange Hermitage | 1985 |
| EVANS & TATE | 1999 |
| MOSS WOOD Glenmore Vineyard | 1997 |
| PENFOLDS Grange | 1995 |
| PENFOLDS Bin 407 | 1996 |
| PENFOLDS Grange |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace |
THE JUST - Louis X111 - Great King - Greatest Cognac package - Specimen condition - Complete with presentation case and original shipper with carry straps - bought in Singapore 2006
| WEN 0006 | 1 700ML BOTTLE IN PRESENTATION CASE Recent Release (2006) | Current Bid: $2211 |
BRAVO - RP100 - There is an usual stony austerity in the 2021 Adrianna Vineyard River, cropped from a cold year when the full clusters fermented in concrete with a slightly shorter maceration and an élevage in a 2,000-liter oak foudre and the rest in stainless steel. It has a moderate 13.4% alcohol with very high acidity (8.2!) and a low pH (3.37), incredible parameters of freshness. The wine was closed and took time to take off in the glass, revealing a very elegant and subtle personality, with the silky texture of the very fine tannins, pristine aromas and flavors and a sense of harmony that was moving. It's powerful but extremely elegant in that rare combination of clout and energy, a wine of light, aerial, with some ethereal qualities, delicate and refined. This combines the cool place and high altitude, the cool year and the stony soils, to deliver a stunning Malbec that goes well beyond the variety. Bravo! 3,400 bottles produced.
| XNE 2279 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XNE 2278 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $274 | |
| XNE 2276 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $274 |
BRILLIANT - RP98+ - The 2021 White Bones Chardonnay was harvested at two different points of ripeness and then blended into the final wine, which is subtler than the explosive 2020 I tasted next to it but with the same palette of aromas—thyme, rosemary, lavender, rockrose, white flowers, citrus, pine needles, incense, curry and spices—and the palate is seamless, mineral and with a chalky texture. It's brilliant and expresses the variety, vintage and soil perfectly, but today I give the edge to the 2020, which I think transcends the vintage. 6,240 bottles produced.
STUFF OF LEGENDS - Shrouded in mystery and intrigue - Lux Greek wines are gateway to the ancients - ODESSEY for the worthy
| GAV 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 |
SEAMLESSS- RP98+ - The exuberance and drama in the stunning nose of the dense plum-colored 2012 Dominus offers up notes of Asian spice, ripe, black currants, kirsch, tobacco leaf and Christmas fruitcake. It is full-bodied and opulent, with no hard edges, a seamless integration of acidity, wood and tannin and a density and richness that are built to go on for 25-30 years.
| TUR 0867 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 | |
| TUR 0868 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
ICONIC - RP96 - The iconic 2012 Proprietary Red Opus One is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in French oak. A classy, complex, suave and savory 2012 Opus One, with notes of toasty oak and crème de cassis. This Pauillac lookalike, made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, is a beauty. They have continued to strengthen the quality of wine and seem to have produced a brilliant, world-class wine. I imagine the 2013 may even eclipse this, but this 2012 is one of their great ones, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood all present in this beautiful, full-bodied wine that should drink well for 25-30 years.
| XNE 0720 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 0719 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 0718 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 |
SOARS - RP98 - Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note.
| XNE 0723 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 0722 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 0721 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 |
TRULY MAGNIFICIENT - RP97-99 - Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend." Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making!
| XNE 0726 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 0725 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 0724 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 |
PERFECT BILLECART STYLE - RP96 - The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels.
| ACC 17113 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $319 | |
| XDW 1622 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $794 | |
| XDW 1625 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $794 | |
| XDW 1631 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $794 |
FULL BODIED, FLESHY & ENVELOPING - RP96 - Disgorged with eight grams per liter dosage, Bollinger's 2014 Brut La Grande Année Rosé wafts from the glass with aromas of tangerine oil, red berries, warm biscuits and English walnuts. Full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's a broad, vinous Champagne, with a deep core of fruit and racy acids, complemented by a delicate pinpoint mousse and concluding with delicate and enlivening phenolic grip on the finish.
| ACC 15505 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $289 | |
| ACC 15506 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $289 | |
| ACC 15507 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $289 | |
| ACC 15508 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $289 | |
| ACC 15509 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $289 |
BANNER VINTAGE - RP99 - A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer's 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage's bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it's also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn't as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it's the 2013's alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that's so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region's tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.
| ACC 17626 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $824 |
Champagne through a Penfolds lens. This Cuvée Brut NV release is sourced from highly regarded vineyards across the Champagne region. Made in partnership with Champagne Thiénot, the blend is made up of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Complete and assured, the Cuvée Brut is fresh and forward on the nose, and lively on the palate. - CURRENT RELEASE
| ADS 0850 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $44 | |
| ADS 0851 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $55 | |
| ADS 0852 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $55 | |
| ADS 0853 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $55 | |
| ADS 0854 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $44 |
BRILLIANTLY - RP96 - This bottle of Taittinger's just-released 2007 Brut Comtes de Champagne Rosé was disgorged in December 2018, and it's showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with a complex bouquet of blood orange, minty raspberries, red plums, dried flowers and warm brioche. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, chalky and tensile, sharing a racy, chiseled profile with its Blanc de Blancs cousin. Deep, concentrated and tightly wound, the wine concludes with a long, sapid finish. This is an intense, racy Comtes Rosé with a long future ahead of it. As has been the norm chez Taittinger for several years now, the blend is based upon 70% Pinot Noir and includes 15% still red wine from Bouzy.
| ANT 0054 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $304 | |
| ANT 0055 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $304 | |
| ANT 0056 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $304 |
ENDURING - JH96 - 68% pinot noir. Fermented in (7.5% new) oak. A tight and incredibly enduring vintage. Pale blush/salmon tint. All the structural integrity, tension and focus of 68% pinot noir. An intricately engineered framework supports a secondary style of long lees age (11 years) and a little more new oak influence than ever before. A vintage for the cellar.
| ANT 0089 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH97 - The quite beautiful colour announces a quite beautiful medium-bodied wine with glorious red and black cherry fruit, superfine tannins and classy oak all in total harmony - so much so you can forget just where you are on the journey through to the finish.
| TUR 0889 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $48 |
BUILDS & BUILDS - JH96 - Full crimson-purple; a complex medium to full-bodied shiraz with blackberry, black cherry, spice, licorice, tannins and oak all contributing to the intense palate; natural acidity and freshness enhanced by the modest alcohol; it builds and builds, lengthens and lengthens each time it is retasted.
| 106 0880 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 |
WORLD QUALITY - JH96 - Vines planted 1868, 1966, '70 and '92, hand-picked and sorted, open-fermented with 25% whole bunches, matured for 17 months in French oak (20% new). There should be no doubt that this is absolutely of world quality. It ticks each and every box with its deep colour, evocative bouquet smelling of 'old money' (in wine terms), a long and velvety palate, the finish simply wanting you to start the process over again.
| TUR 0893 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $48 | |
| TUR 0895 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $48 | |
| TUR 0894 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $48 |
BEST -JH95 - More concentration of power and greater structure than Bin O; blackberry with splashes of licorice and spice; will be seriously long-lived, and is not yet showing its best.
| ADS 0803 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| ADS 0804 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
BLESSED - JH97 - Deep crimson-purple; made predominantly from vines planted in 1868, and is genuinely a wine that is only made in the best vintages. I can't help but think when I taste a wine such as this that my ashes will have been scattered decades before it fulfils all of its potential. It has lashings of blackberry, plum, blackcurrant and touches of licorice and mint; the tannins are quite obvious, but ripe and in balance for a wine so blessed with great fruit. Bottle no. 833 of 4200.
| 106 0881 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $160 | |
| 106 0882 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
BEAUTIFULLY 30 - JH95 - Strong purple-red; a complex array of aromas running through dark fruits, mint and vanilla, with the oak well balanced and integrated. A beautifully balanced and constructed wine, with intense fruit, well integrated oak and guaranteed to evolve superbly over the decades.
| STO 0218 | 1 BOTTLE Slightly stained label | Current Bid: $104 |
INTENSITY & STRUCTURE -JH96 - Strong purple-crimson; has every bit of the intensity and structure expected of this wine, with a mix of red cherry, blackberry, French oak and a lilting finish thanks to spot-on acidity.
| TUR 0843 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $160 |
PROCLAIMS - JH96 - Deep purple-crimson, it proclaims its breed and quality from the first whiff, overflowing with black fruits, tannins and oak in support. It will slowly gain notes of earth, briar and polished leather as it develops in bottle, the screwcap giving it an indefinite life span.
| TUR 0844 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $160 |
STELLA WINE - JH96 - A stellar wine boasting an intensity of flavour, palate-staining levels of extract and a forensic precision to the tannins that forces one to swish the wine about the mouth while chewing every ounce of nourishment from it. Subdued at first, before 2019's ripe kit of black cherry melds with lilac florals and a long trail of pepper, Indian spice mix and charcuterie flavours. A venerable wine in the making.
| ACC 12312 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 12313 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $214 |
COMPLETE - JH95 - A restrained and elegant wine, with red fruits, cedar and a suggestion of violets the central theme; elegant, tightly wound and unevolved on the palate, showing a slippery texture; the finish reveals the wine's true depth of personality with structure in complete harmony with the fruit.
| TUR 0978 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ADS 0787 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| ADS 0788 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $70 |
PERFECTION - RP99+ - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Hoffman Vineyard Shiraz possesses an extraordinary nose of cassis, crushed blackberries, earth, Bovril and yeast extract with licorice, spice box and dried herbs hints. Full-bodied, rich and densely packed, with a lovely backbone of ripe tannins and great freshness, the long finish here is just incredible. A true "wow" wine, this complex beauty certainly has the potential to hit "perfection" with a little more time in bottle.
| TUR 0839 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
STUNNING - RP99 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2006 Astralis has stunning nose redolent of warm blackberries, meat, toast and charcoal, infused with notes of smoked duck, anise and a slight bit of peat. Though still very youthful, this big, rich, and powerful full-bodied wine has firm yet velvety tannins, a vibrant acid line and is very long on the finish. Drink it now to 2026+.
| 106 0888 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| TUR 0704 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 |
SHOULDN'T BE MISSED - RP99 - Picked before the heat and weighing in at a reasonable 14.5% alcohol, the 2008 Astralis Syrah (tasted from magnum) is singing. Showing no bricking at the rim, scents of cracked pepper, mint, bay leaf, thyme, lavender and blueberries pour out of the glass, adding meaty notes and hints of espresso and black olive with air. Full-bodied, creamy-textured and supple on the long finish, this wine shouldn't be missed. If you've got one, open it and see for yourself. MAGNUM
| JMO 0302 | 1 MAGNUM Slight label damage | Current Bid: $572 |
LONG & PLUSH - RP95 - Full-bodied, creamy and rich, the 2013 Astralis Syrah lacks a bit of precision on the nose, but the palate delivers stunning layers of lush blueberry fruit, made savory by the addition of coffee grounds and black olives. Long and plush on the finish, it's a tremendous effort for the vintage.
| TUR 0711 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 |
TERRIFIC - RP97 - Cola, dried spices, menthol and blueberry notes all appear on the nose of the 2014 Astralis Syrah. A massive yet approachable wine, it's full-bodied and creamy-textured, with a rich, velvety finish that picks up awesome savory notes of anise, cracked pepper and roasted meat. It's simply a terrific wine that may be drunk soon or held up to two decades.
| TUR 0714 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0715 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0716 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 |
WOW - RP100 - The fitting capstone to what was a terrific vintage for Clarendon Hills, the 2015 Astralis Syrah is destined to become a McLaren Vale legend. Remarkably precise, complex and pristine aromas of anise, pepper, mint and blueberries lead the way. They're followed by a full-bodied yet impeccably ripe palate that's dense and concentrated yet supple, leading into a velvety, nearly endless finish. Wow.
| TUR 0720 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
TIME IS RIGHT? - RP97+ - The inky, tannic 2016 Astralis Syrah will no doubt need some time before it reaches its apogee. Right now, it only hints at that potential. Appetizing scents of roasted meat and cinnamon toast meet red raspberries and black cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is densely concentrated and richly textured but closed, locked up by firm, dusty tannins that bar the lengthy finish from expanding and being truly expressive. I'm tempted to say buyers should check in on the wine in five years, but that may not be enough time. If you absolutely must check it out now, taste it repeatedly over the course of a full evening to catch glimpses of espresso, black olives and delicate herbal nuances.
| XWA 2137 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 2138 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 2140 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 |
A BEAUTY - RP97+ - The 2017 Astralis Syrah is a very fine wine. It is not a big wine. Perhaps its reputation for being a big, extracted wine is a misnomer these days. It has intention and drive and clarity and length—and the length of flavor is so long that it allows reassessment over and over again. It has cassis and blackberry, raspberry pip and salted licorice. It is perfumed and balanced, and it takes time to develop. Unctuous. Satisfying. Supple. Attractive. Beautiful. Eminently balanced. A beauty.
| XWA 2292 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 2295 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 2296 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 |
SPOTLESSLY - JH96 - Spotlessly clean, lifted black cherry/blackberry and spice aromas, together with the unmistakable tang of Viognier; silky soft tannins, very good balance and length.
| STO 0219 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $80 | |
| ADS 0834 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $200 |
RICH - JH96 - Exceptionally powerful, rich and concentrated; a full-bodied, lush, velvety texture and mouthfeel; black fruits and spice seem to subdue the viognier lift, but this is an exception tasted just prior to bottling.
| ADS 0835 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $200 |
SUPERB - JH97 - As expected the wine is young and buoyant, with a highly fragrant perfume of red fruit, fresh blackberry, violets, roasted meat and a little tar; the palate reveals the true potential of this superb wine with a cascading array of flavours and thrillingly silky tannin, poised acidity and a peacocks tail on the very long and precise palate.
| TUR 0872 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $140 |
JH95 - Light, bright crimson-purple; a highly fragrant bouquet of red fruits and subtle spices leads into a medium-bodied palate; here more savoury characters join the red fruit flavours, lengthening the finish and aftertaste. Due for release Sept 2011.
| TUR 0873 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $120 |
SOCRATEAN - JH98 - Tim Kirk's Socratean dissatisfaction has led to changes in the vineyard and winery alike. One particular change is the increase in the percentage of whole bunches, resulting in even greater perfume and more texture, yet leaving the mouth fresh. Spices are embroidered on the red fruits with unequalled attention to detail.
| TUR 0875 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
GLORIOUS - JH98 - The perfumed, spicy bouquet with red flowers and fruits doesn't prepare you for the intensity and piercing length of its beautifully balanced medium-bodied palate. This is a truly glorious wine that draws you back again and again to explore the wealth of red fruit flavours, and the majesty of its texture and structure.
| TUR 0876 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
BEST - JH98 - A co-fermented 94/6% blend. The hue is good, although not deep - pinotish. Tim Kirk nails it when he writes of a line of pure spice running through the bouquet and palate - I would simply add 'and the aftertaste' because this has superb length and texture, replete with red berry flavours. Clonakilla at its best.
| TUR 0877 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
FRAGRANT - JH97 - Hand-picked and sorted, fermented with 28% whole bunches and 6% viognier. Apart from a hail storm in Jan, a perfect growing season. Fragrant to the point of perfumed aromas of spices, rose petals and red fruit blossom. The palate is, as ever, very complex, with spice berries sewn together in a necklace of tannins. The length is all one could wish for.
| TUR 0880 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| TUR 0879 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| TUR 0878 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
PERFECTION - JH98 - A wild-fermented Bordeaux blend matured for 18 months in French oak (40% new). It has waves of complexity, changing shape as the luxuriant cassis swells on the mid-palate, then finishes with ripe, textured tannins. The overall freshness is perfection.
| ANT 0084 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
BLIMEY - JH98 - 79/10/6/5% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/malbec. Wild ferment in barrel and amphora, matured for 15 months in mainly biodynamic oak (50% new). An icon wine from a watershed vintage. This is Margaret River pedigree of the highest order; powdery fine tannins that shape and caress the perfectly ripe red fruits. The acidity is the driver over the tongue, the layers of flavour and texture seem never-ending. Show stopping. Pure fruit concentration. Blimey.
| SIM 0302 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 | |
| SIM 0301 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 |
DRINK NOW - OR - IN 40+ YEARS - JH98 - 87% Cabernet sauvignon, with 7/3/2/1% merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. Matured for 15 months in barrique, 45% new. Cassis and red licorice on the nose, bay and saltbush, too. The palate is salty and fine with layers upon layers of spice and texture. The tannins are like finely textured gills, stacked as delicately as the folds in a mushroom. The length of flavour unfurls and extends across the palate, taking so long to fade that this entire tasting note is possible off one sip. The rest are just for pleasure. Drink it now, or in 40+ years from now… both will be possible.
| LIN 0067 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 |
GOSH - JH97 - Diana Madeline. The name evokes a lot of emotions, for what the woman stood for then and what the wine stands for now. The 2021 vintage equals 50 years of cabernet sauvignon plantings at Cullen. When released in early 2023, it was on what would have been her 100th birthday. It’s a wine that can come from nowhere else, so strong is its sense of place. Expect to swoon over aromas of roses, violets and mulberries doused in baking spices, a ferruginous quality as much as detailed if persuasive tannins. It’s complex, complete and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination.
| ACC 17689 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
DELIGHTS - JH97 - This Diana Madeline delights as soon as it's poured. A deep, dark purple-red and so vibrant. Ah the aromas next – all cedar wood, oak spices and warm earth with fresh mulberries and blackberry essence. It has concentrated, fabulous fruit on the fuller-bodied palate yet there’s a fineness, too, with supple tannins enmeshed in lively acidity. It’s a gorgeous drink. Too young now as it’s still showing off its youthful exuberance. Give this a few more years in the cellar to build more complexity and detail; it's guaranteed to age beautifully for another two or so decades.
COMPELLING - JH96 - Even if this is a rich rendition full of white stone fruit, quince paste with pomelo dusted in ginger powder and daikon radish, it has the Kevin John thumbprint. And while all that’s all well and lovely, it’s how this feels that makes it special: a density of fruit yet succulence, fleshy and full with umami lees, this is pulsing with flavour and energy and the oak gives off a savoury appearance. As always, compelling.
| XBW 2971 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XBW 2972 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XBW 2973 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
PLEASING - JH96 - A warm and dry vintage in ’24 yet the fruit was picked early, between the 11th and 19th January, with five hand harvests according to the biodynamic calendar. Aged 6 months in 50% new French oak puncheons. And yet, it's almost a pared-back style given the richness and flavour we’re accustomed to with Kevin John – everything reined in by fine acidity. It’s a pleasing outcome. Grapefruit and white peach, cedar/caramel oak spices and a light fragrance of lemon blossom. Not all upfront fruit; there’s a savouriness throughout, a fine layer of nougat/nutty lees and a tug of phenolics that adds more shape.
| ACC 17861 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17862 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17863 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17864 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17865 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| ACC 17866 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 |
TRULY GREAT - JH98 - From the block always known as The Eagle, planted in '77, and still considered to be the best. Vivid, deep crimson-purple, it absolutely floods the senses with its glorious silk and velvet texture, its array of black fruits of every description, its superb tannin structure, and its low alcohol leaving the mouth as fresh as a spring day. A truly great wine.
| TUR 0975 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $112 |
BRICK HOUSE - RP97 - Sourced from a tiny single block of vineyard planted in 1915, the very deep garnet-purple 2013 Fifteen Shiraz is a brand new, 100% Shiraz wine aged in 100% new French oak. It opens to an incredible nose loaded with dark chocolate and crushed blueberries, plums, cloves, raw meat, licorice, tar and a whiff of incense. Big, powerful and concentrated, it is built like a brick house and framed by firm, grainy tannins. It finishes quite earthy and long in the finish. Less than 100 cases were produced.
| WAY 0139 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $233 | |
| WAY 0140 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $233 | |
| WAY 0141 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $233 | |
| WAY 0142 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $233 | |
| WAY 0143 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $233 | |
| WAY 0144 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $233 |
EXCEPTIONALLY SCENTED - JH97 - Light straw-green; an exceptionally scented, blossom-filled bouquet, including wild flowers as well as citrus and apple; a very intense, juicy and sculptured palate, with squeaky acidity running throughout. Likely to have a very low pH, and has a commensurately long palate and lingering aftertaste.
| MUL 2109 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2110 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 | |
| MUL 2114 | 1 BOTTLE Museum Release -Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $64 |
GREAT - JH96 - One of the great rieslings of Australia. This is textural as much as pure, with lime blossom, ginger flower and a touch of beeswax. Flavours of Bickford's lime cordial, lemon curd, mandarin and zest caress the palate; the talcy-fine acidity is lipsmacking
DELIGHT & DETAIL - JH95 - There’s a lot of detail and delight with this savoury syrah, a 1.5% splash of viognier and 3.5% glug of mourvèdre also in the mix, with 5% whole bunches, then aged 14 months in French oak foudres plus puncheons. The tannins are key – they are shapely, plush, almost velvety, and augmented by aromas/flavours of dark fruit, warm spice, ferrous notes and gun smoke. Fuller bodied without feeling weighty, and the finish is long.
FINEST - JH96 - Cabernet franc is at the heart of Olmo’s Reward with glugs of cabernet sauvignon and for the first time mourvadre and a splash of malbec. This is up there as one of the finest to date. A seamless combination of the varieties morphs into a unified, harmonious red. Supple, fine tannins yet intrinsically powerful in a way, as they coat the fuller-bodied palate, but this never feels big or weighty. The finish is as long as it is beautiful.
LOVELY - JH96 - An off-dry style, and a portion is usually aged on lees in old oak and the rest in stainless-steel tank. This is lovely. Full of mandarin juice and peel, makrut lime and the creamiest nougat lees flavour – divine. It’s delicate, stylish and so appealing. Most importantly, the acidity brings everything in alignment, so the sweetness just fleshes out and rounds out the palate.
| MUL 2138 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 | |
| MUL 2139 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 | |
| MUL 2140 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $54 |
PROFOUND - WOW - JH97 - Certified organic. Fruit from the Isolation Ridge vineyard on the estate property. The nose is so fragrant that it takes some time to unpick it all. Winter mandarin, pink peppercorn, citrus blossom, blackberry, plum, licorice, clove, star anise, lavender and fennel flower. In the mouth, the graphite and black-tea tannins are a masterclass in svelte. They weave and thread through all aspects of the experience, becoming briefly savoury, before trailing out over a long finish. It is the tannins that reveal to us how inchoate this wine truly is. It needs time. It will be superlative. For now, it is tightly wound, coiled even and needs time to unfurl and show its potential. What a profound wine. Wow. Owns the Syrah moniker.
| MUL 2147 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 | |
| MUL 2148 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 | |
| MUL 2149 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $91 |
EXQUISITE - JH98 - In challenging Victorian vintages like '23 – cool and wet – the cream rises, quality producers standing up. At Giaconda, we see another stunner of a chardonnay released, a classic work of art that delivers a bouquet of citrus blossom scents with intense Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith, preserved lemon, white peach, nectarine and crushed stone. Has real presence and an immediate sense of concentration. The longer it remains open, the more it reveals, an ongoing treat of complexity in nectarine, peach, toasted almond and gentle spice with a stunning lemon butter-like richness and more, edged in finely laced acidity. Exquisite.
| LEE 0099 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 | |
| LEE 0101 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 | |
| LEE 0102 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 | |
| LEE 0103 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 | |
| LEE 0104 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - The 2018 The Eye of Ra Shiraz is wildly aromatic: blood plum, pastrami, cracked peppercorns, clove bud, mountain herbs (alpine mint?), boysenberry, blackberry (actually, every black berry you can name), dark chocolate, squid ink, blueberry, resin and char. In the mouth, the wine is velvety and concentrated, with a surprising amount of detail embedded and embossed into the folds of tannin that shape the wine. This is very big, make no mistake, but also balanced between its sweet and savory sides. A galaxy of complexity exists in this glass. It shows the 2018 vintage off to its best effect: ripe, dense, concentrated, fresh and beguiling. Super good. The drinking window is conservative, however, as I prefer a modicum of primary fruit. It's important to note that it will age gracefully beyond that point, so it is up to you... The fruit for this cuvée is from Ebenezer, largely from Adrian Hoffman. Diverse soil types in the vineyard allow for diversity in picking and fruit flavors; this here is from the sandy/free-draining sections of the Ebenezer vineyard—from four blocks in the vineyard. It was handpicked, and picked based on flavor, then crushed, destemmed and cold fermented, barrel selection. It matured in 300-liter hogsheads for 14-16 months, in a combination of French oak coopers (100% new). Packaged in a black metal box, under natural cork and wax, this is a superstar.
| XBW 3400 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 | |
| XBW 3399 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 | |
| XBW 3398 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $449 |
OVERFLOWING - JH96 - Still in the first flush of full-bodied youth, overflowing with black fruits, spice, tobacco, bramble, earth and licorice - just to start with, then there is the bedrock of ripe tannins and the doona of quality oak. Certainly from the full-bodied, big end of town, but you can't deny its quality, nor the skill of Craig Stansborough.
| ADS 0785 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| ADS 0786 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
SUPERABUNDANT - JH96 - Still full of youthful power, reflecting the message of the dark crimson-purple colour. It spent 2 years in oak, and then held for 3 years maturation in the Grant Burge cellars prior to release. This has opened the door of a Barossa Valley shiraz of undeniable quality and longevity, the alcohol no issue whatsoever in the realm of superabundant blackberry, licorice and spice.
| ADS 0783 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ADS 0784 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
DUCKS LINE UP - Big thing 3l double magnum - 21st BirthdayVintage! - JH94 - Medium to full-bodied; lots of charry oak surrounding black cherry and blackberry fruit. Imposing style. Gold National Wine Show 2005 - OH and cheap - The glass bottle is worth $50! - No insurance on Freight
| ADS 0843 | 1 3 LITRE BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
NOSE - RP97 - The 2005 Creek Block Shiraz was sourced from a 67-year-old estate vineyard and received the same barrel regimen as its colleagues. An exceptional nose of smoked meat, bacon, tar, violets, truffle, and blueberry muffin gives way to a full-bodied, voluptuous, Shiraz with layers of blue and black fruit flavors, spice box, and milk chocolate. Although it can be enjoyed now, it promises to evolve for 8-10 years and provide prime drinking through 2035. Greenock Creek Vineyard & Cellars, owned by Michael and Annabelle Waugh, remains one of South Australia’s iconic wineries. Start with a great terroir, add in old vine material and meticulous winemaking, and end with extraordinary results.
| STO 0229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 | |
| STO 0230 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $105 |
INCREDIBLE ARRAY - RP95+ - Deep garnet in color, the 2007 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz displays an incredible array of aromas: sandalwood, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, cardamom, damp earth, tobacco, cedar, licorice and menthol over a core of dried mulberries and fruit cake. Very full-bodied and densely packed with spiced, dried berry flavors, it has a good line of enlivening acid, medium to firm grainy tannins and a long finish with the oak still poking through. It is approachable now but should drink best 2024+.
| ACC 16380 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $247 | |
| ACC 17193 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $247 |
LIVELY & LONG - JH94 - Blackcurrant fruit with touches of mint and leaf lead into a medium- to medium-full-bodied palate; lively and long, it has abundant cassis and blackcurrant fruit, a touch of mint again apparent, but not excessive; has absorbed the new oak, and has very good structure.
| ACC 16936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $207 |
WONDERFUL - JH96 - A blend of organic/biodynamically farmed 99/1% cabernet sauvignon/merlot from the Cyril Henschke vineyard in the Eden Valley from the outstanding 2021 vintage. A beautiful bright magenta/crimson in the glass with a pretty, lifted aromatic profile. Plum, blackberry and blackcurrant with notes of sage, bay leaf, dried herbs, violets and crushed stone. Fruit pure and detailed with a very long, graceful finish and superfine, powdery, granitic tannins. A wonderful release for the Cyril Henschke.
RP 89 - The 1988 Hill of Grace is medium deep brown in color and replete with earthy and leathery aromas marred by a touch of rancio /aldehydic notes that seem to recover after a few minutes and show some treacle and Indian spice hints. It is an interesting wine, though just a bit flat and tired on the palate with of medium level chewy tannins, crisp acid and a good length on what remains of the fruit. It is mature. Robert Parker Wine Advocate – Lisa Perotti Brown – 25th April 2013
| NIK 0565 | 1 BOTTLE Severe label damage | Current Bid: $608 |
NO RUSH - RP97 - Deep brown-brick in color, the 1991 Hill of Grace offers intensely scented notes of warm black fruits, Chinese dried plums, dark chocolate-covered cherries and licorice. It is very pure, full-bodied and rich in the mouth, with profound and seductive flavors, a great backbone of crisp acid and firm, finely-grained tannins through the long finish. It is mature now but no rush to drink.
| PAU 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder | Current Bid: $280 |
HOLDING STRONG - RP93 - Deep garnet-brick colored, the 1992 Hill of Grace exudes aromas of dried mulberries, blackberry preserves, iron ore, menthol and lavender. Well-structured with medium-firm chewy tannins, crisp acid and muscular fruit, it has a long and earthy finish. It is mature and holding strong. XBW - HENSCHKE MUSEUM RELEASE
GREATEST GRACE? - JH99 - Henschke has deemed the 2019 release 'a vintage graced by the nurturer', a reference to Prue Henschke's work in the vineyards and relentless pursuit of perfection in the viticultural field. I used to live on the property between Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone and have seen first hand the hard work and love given to these vines, so hats off to the nurturer. Again, tiny yields in 2019, but it is a beautifully detailed, layered wine – as expected from these gnarled ancestor vines (160 years old). It's seamless with perfectly poised blackberry and dark berry fruits, five-spice, sage, softly spoken oak and the gentle tug of superfine, toothsome tannins. Lacy, mineral-laden acidity propels the wine forward and the finish is long, elegant and in perfect pitch. Grace by name, grace by nature.
RP97 - SUPER - The 2019 Hill of Grace Shiraz was picked earlier than the Mount Edelstone fruit, and it was picked on a single day, on March 8. This vineyard has more silt, and it brings out anise and five spice aromas in the wine. It ripens earlier than Mount Edelstone, is darker and more concentrated than the former and brings out the concentration of black fruit and fine tannins that the Eden Valley is so capable of. On the palate, the wine is super fragrant, elegant and fine, with bone broth and rose petals, peppercorns, crushed herbs, black cherry, raspberry pip, black tea and graphite. This is an eloquent wine, and it speaks of the evocatively beautiful place that is the Eden Valley. The tannins hold the fruit in a gentle way in the mouth. It is fine, such a fine expression—I must say, it's not at all what I expected of the 2019 vintage. It's a triumph of a wine. Super. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under Vinolok. Bottle number 0074.
| ACC 16642 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $749 |
ABSOLUTE CLASSIC - JH99 - This release will go down in the annals of Australian fine wine as one of the classic releases for Hill of Grace. With a strong vintage and even stronger pedigree, the gnarled old, circa 1860s-planted, shiraz vines have really come up with the goods with this release and as I sit to taste this wine with Stephen Henschke he shakes his head and says, "it just amazes me that my grandmother's grandfather planted these vines". The eagle-eyed will notice a skip in vintage. The yields were down horribly in 2020 across all the Henschke vineyards but man, did 2021 deliver. Super bright magenta/crimson in the glass with a wonderfully deep aromatic profile. Doris plum, blackberry and black cherry with hints of mace, sage, panforte, cedar, dark chocolate, tapenade, pepper, charcuterie, graphite, crushed quartz and violets. From the aromatic detail to the amplitude, purity and flow of fruit, the wine is absolutely on song with stunning length of flavour and presence on the palate, sailing away slowly with tight, fine-grained tannins and the most graceful of travels on the palate. An absolute classic for this wine.
FUTURE GRACE - Hill of Roses is named as a tribute to Johann Gottlieb Rosenzweig. This wine is produced from shiraz vines from the Hill of Grace Vineyard. These vines were a mere 12 years old when the wine was first produced in 2001 and at present are too young to be considered for inclusion in the Hill of Grace vintages. As per the Barossa Old Vine Charter, an ‘old vine’ is equal to or greater than 35 years of age. The quality of the grapes from this selection, however, has produced a wine that has warranted a separate bottling and limited release.
| STO 0232 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 |
FUTURE GRACE - Hill of Roses is named as a tribute to Johann Gottlieb Rosenzweig. This wine is produced from shiraz vines from the Hill of Grace Vineyard. These vines were a mere 12 years old when the wine was first produced in 2001 and at present are too young to be considered for inclusion in the Hill of Grace vintages. As per the Barossa Old Vine Charter, an ‘old vine’ is equal to or greater than 35 years of age. The quality of the grapes from this selection, however, has produced a wine that has warranted a separate bottling and limited release.
| STO 0234 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 |
AWESOME - RP94 - Other than the top cuvees of Penfolds' Grange, and the old vine Grenache and Astralis from Clarendon Hills, no Australian wines are richer than these offerings from Henschke - a winery that gets my nod as one of Australia's two or three finest producers. Each of these wines coats the mouth with glorious levels of jammy fruit, extract, glycerin, and silky tannin. They are all dense ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, and capable of lasting at least a decade, and in the case of the 1991 Shiraz Hill of Grace, possibly 20+ years. The ostentatious 1993 Shiraz Mount Edelstone Keyneton Vineyard reveals a thicker looking color, and hits the palate with even more explosive richness and ripeness than the Keyneton Estate wine. It boasts a phenomenal sweet, rich, dense middle, as well as a huge, unctuous texture and finish. While approachable, it is capable of lasting for 10-15 years. These are awesome examples of what Australia is capable of producing.
| PAU 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
SUPERB - RP97 - The 2005 Mount Edelstone is a 100% Shiraz cuvee sourced from a vineyard planted in 1912. Yields are a meager 0.3 to 0.5 tons of fruit per acre. In combination with a near ideal growing season, this has resulted in a great edition of Mount Edelstone, one of South Australia’s iconic wines. Purple-colored, the nose gives up notes of mocha, chocolate, smoked meat, pepper, leather, blueberry, and blackberry. Elegant, already complex, layered, and thoroughly satisfying, this superb Shiraz has enough baby fat to be enjoyed now but will amply reward 5-7 years of cellaring. It will drink beautifully through 2025. Henschke, one of Australia’s oldest and most renowned wineries continues to perform at a high level. XBW - HENSCHKE MUSEUM RELEASE
GREATEST - JH98 - Vivid, deep purple-crimson; this is a blue-blood aristocratic shiraz, certain in its supreme power, length and balance, and not going out to prove anything. If anyone doubts its quality now, the scales will fall from their eyes over the decades ahead, as it will be recognised by all and sundry as one of the greatest Mount Edelstones.
INTENSITY & FOCUS - JH97 - The 61st vintage, from 101yo ungrafted dry-grown vines, matured for 18 months in 81% French and 19% American hogsheads (34% new). The decision to hold back the release of this shiraz until after the '14 was correct - this is a densely packed wine destined for a long life as vertical tastings have proved again and again, intensity and focus achieved without apparent effort. Medium-bodied, but with compelling black fruits riding on the back of tannins and carefully measured oak. XBW - HENSCHKE MUSEUM RELEASE
BEAUTIFUL - JH98 - Shiraz from the esteemed 107-year-old single-vineyard in Eden Valley, farmed organically and biodynamically and matured in French (80/20% new) and American (20%) oak for 18 months. Tiny yields due to untimely weather events during budburst and flowering. Stephen mentions they had to send a search party out to find grapes, 5.5t is all; in the end picked before the Wheelwright and after Hill of Grace. But what a beautiful wine. Pure blackberry and black cherry, sage, pepper, rosehip, crushed stone, softly spoken cedar tones and liminal tobacco and pan juice glimpses. Superfine savoury tannins and a long draw on the graceful finish.
| ACC 17734 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17735 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 | |
| ACC 17736 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $209 |
GREATS - JH98 - I used to live next door to this 109-year-old vineyard for nearly a decade and have seen the hard work and attention to detail that goes into its farming. The 2021 is an absolute stunner from a great vintage and I've no doubt that this will age gracefully for decades. The length of flavour with this release is quite something; the fruit is sleek, plush and on-point pure. Blackberry, Doris plum and black cherry layer with spice and hints of sage, bay leaf, pepper, olive tapenade, anise, violets and stone. Velvety and graceful in its flow on the palate with a fresh mineral cadence and superfine, powdered granitic tannins for support. It'll go down as one of the greats.
| ACC 17770 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 | |
| ACC 17771 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 | |
| ACC 17772 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 | |
| ACC 17773 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 | |
| ACC 17774 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 | |
| ACC 17775 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $230 |
IMPRESSES GREATLY - JH96 - Eden Valley shiraz from estate vines, planted in 1968 and matured in 10% new oak (95/5% French/American) hogsheads for 18 months prior to blending. Notes of mulberry, blueberry and redcurrant flit above the bass tones of dark and black berries, cut with spice, licorice, dark chocolate, sage and a scattering of brambly, briar-like notes. Graceful red fruits and spice feature on the palate which, like all Henschke wines, shows detail and elegance with perhaps a little more red fruit coming through. The balance and clarity of form impresses greatly. - MAGMUMS
| ACC 17743 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $264 | |
| ACC 17744 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $264 | |
| ACC 17745 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $264 |
FAVOURITE - JH96 - Shiraz from the Wheelwright vineyard in Eden Valley; 18 months in 65/35% French/American oak (21% new). A relatively new addition to the Henschke quiver and one that is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Pure mulberry, blueberry and blackberry fruits with hints of fine spice, sage, bay leaf, licorice, dark chocolate and crushed stone. Firm granitic tannins melt into the wine, pure and true with a fine, lively cadence and superb fruit density and detail on display. Drink or hold.
| ACC 17646 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17647 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
GRACEFUL - JH95 - 100% organic/biodynamically farmed shiraz from the Wheelwright vineyard in the Eden Valley, planted by Cyril Henschke in the 1960s. Deep crimson with plush satsuma plum, black cherry and blackcurrant fruits underscored with hints of fine spice, sage, coal dust, cedar, violets, dark chocolate and crushed stone. I really like the flow of fruit in the Wheelwright this year; plush yet graceful with fine, compact tannins providing ample structure for cellaring.
| ACC 17758 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17759 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17760 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17761 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17762 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| ACC 17763 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 |
SUPERB- JH96 - Like all the 2009 Hentley Farm wines, the crimson-purple colour is superb, but this has a second quality to its flavour and structure, perfectly ripened blackberry, plum and black cherry fruits playing tag with each other and the quality oak in which they have been matured, in the end captured and calmed by outstanding tannins that both provide the necessary structure, but also add a savoury farewell to gently dry out the finish.
| TUR 0912 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 |
REMARKABLE - JH97 - Individual estate parcels, machine-harvested, destemmed and crushed, open-fermented with cultured yeast, 8 days on skins, matured in French oak (70% new) for 22 months, blended after 6 months in oak. An exotic bouquet with new shoe leather and a sprinkle of sultry spices, the full-bodied palate with supple blackberry fruits to the fore and an underlay of integrated French oak. There is a finesse to the overall texture, structure and flavour that is remarkable.
| TUR 0913 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 |
HIGH QUALITY - JH96 - Immensely powerful and concentrated, yet not the least jammy or alcoholic. Glorious blackcurrant, spice, earth and bitter chocolate; fine, long tannins; very good oak management. High quality
| TUR 0881 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH96 - Deep purple; a beautiful wine in every respect; purity of classic varietal fruit; texture, structure and length all perfect; fine tannins and integrated oak. Cabernet Malbec. Six Trophies
| TUR 0882 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $83 | |
| JOH 0084 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $167 | |
| JOH 0085 | 1 MAGNUM Slight stained label | Current Bid: $208 | |
| JOH 0087 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $208 | |
| JOH 0088 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $208 |
PEDIGREE - JH97 - Very stable, deep colour; a fine vintage of a very distinguished wine with a great pedigree; faultless blackcurrant cabernet fruit, fine-grained tannins and high quality oak; very good length.
| TUR 0883 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
EFFORTLESSLY - JH98 - From the single Justin Vineyard in the Frankland River; this speaks of its place of origin even more eloquently than the Gladstones Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. The cabernet is effortlessly focused and powerful, the balance, texture, structure, line and length of this beautiful wine certain to carry it long after I have had my ashes scattered.
| ADS 0826 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $63 |
TITAN PLAYING ARTIST - JH95 - Deep, healthy colour; a highly fragrant bouquet with bright black fruit aromas, then a deep and complex palate, with juicy red fruit notes contrasting with savoury tannins accompanied by darker fruits on the finish. - Titanic Jacobs Creek with all the power and rescurces are playing in the boutique, extreme quality space - Sadly Johann was never recognised as a serious Lux wine it is
| ADS 0766 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 | |
| ADS 0767 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
TITAN PLAYING ARTIST - JH96 - Barossa shiraz (64%) interlocks seamlessly with Coonawarra cabernet, celebrating the magnificent '10 vintage in great black fruit concentration, yet never heavy or overbearing. Finely textured tannins lace together a wine of characterful poise and deep-set intensity. A standout vintage for Johann. - Titanic Jacobs Creek with all the power and rescurces are playing in the boutique extreme quality space - Sadly Johann never recognised as the serious, high value, Lux wine it is
| ADS 0829 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 |
POWERHOUSE - JH96 - A powerhouse release. It rips, it churns, it impresses and most all: it gets on with business. Dense black berried fruits of various persuasions, coffee-cream oak, sprinkles of dried herbs and a surge of flavour and tannin to close. It's like admiring a big sea; the power complete with the glory. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 2696 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $359 | |
| XNE 2694 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $359 | |
| XNE 2693 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $359 |
SUPERBLY HONED – JH96 - The star of the Jim Barry show - it plays a different medley. This is superbly honed, brimming with power and depth, full-bodied yet there's a certain refinement too. Astonishing colour, all dark ruby and bright with purple tinges, the tannins velvety and savoury, the finish long. Every detail taken care of and the end result a complete wine. Surprisingly approachable, but built to last a considerable distance. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XNE 0729 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 0728 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 0727 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 |
RESPECT - JH96 - The Barry team extracts the maximum from the vineyard with a deft (14.2% alcohol) touch. It's savoury, earthy, its tannins are four square and ready, charred meat in another channel. It's utterly original, whether or not the family thought they could match Grange. To know the wine you don't have to love it, but you do have to respect it.
| ACC 16565 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - I thought that the 2014 had completely stolen my heart, but then there was this 2018 The Armagh Shiraz, bottled under Stelvin. This saw no American oak, as 2017 was the first year of 100% French. This is the first year with puncheons (no hogsheads) as well. It is so good, sensational, with a perfect fruit profile and orange oil character. It is fresh, beguiling, supple, intense, elegant, refined and full—all the good and important things in confluence here. It has 13.6% and matured for 18 months in 75% new and 25% one-year-old French oak hogsheads (300 liters) and puncheons (500liters). This is a superstar. The drinking window may be conservative—closure and winemaking could put this at 40 years with ease. And beyond. MUSEUM RELEASE
| XSA 2145 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2146 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2147 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
DECADENCE - JH95 - A thunderous release on hand. It feels a bit darker fruited and woody than the 2020, but maintains its impressive presence and structure galore. Opens with a procession of dark berries, clove and mahogany spice, fig and date richness, mocha with some turned earth and faint eucalyptus-like characters. The texture delivers grip, swerve and pucker. More of the clove/cedar woodiness here, dried fruits, ferrous characters, dark berries, stewed plum and a swish of bramble and minty lift to taste. The texture is fleshy but comes with ribbons of firm, gravelly tannin, the finish long and gently palate staining with saline and graphite mineral elements. Decadence plus. In its grippy, dry form now, it shows that time in cellar is advisable.
STRUCTURED & ELEGANT - JH97 - Represents the best wine of the vintage, sourced from the and Eden Barossa Valleys, matured for 20 months in French hogsheads (75% new). The aim is a structured (achieved in spades) and elegant (give it 10 years) expression of shiraz. My query on elegance is due to the obvious French oak: it simply needs a Grange-like decade to come into integrated balance.
| TUR 0961 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
RESPECT - Super RARE example of the best of Barossa BEFORE Oz folks cared about dry red table wine - From the days when Fortified wines / Ports were KING & QUEEN
| PAU 0001 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $25 |
NEW LEVEL - RP96 - The 2005 Shiraz “Johann Georg” raises the stakes to a new level. It is sourced from vines planted in 1875 and yielding a tiny 1.5 tons per acre. It spent 2 years in American and French hogsheads, two-thirds new. It is more complex aromatically with a splendid bouquet of toast, smoke, creosote, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Full-bodied, big and rich, but still relatively ungiving, it has remarkable concentration, purity, and length. It needs 6-8 years of further bottle age to begin revealing its full potential and will drink well through 2035 if not longer.
Troy Kalleske is owner/winemaker of his namesake winery. The family owns 400 acres, 200 cultivated, in the acclaimed Greenock region of Barossa where conditions are extreme and the vines are stressed. Much of their holdings are in older vines.
| JMO 0406 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 | |
| JMO 0407 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 |
CHAMELEON - JH96 - Bright, clear purple-crimson; bramble, spice and red fruit aromas move more to dark fruits on the juicy, yet velvety, palate; like many great pinots, this is a chameleon, changing each time you return to it, its deliciously savoury (yes, this is an odd conjunction of words) tannins a reprise of the bramble characters of the bouquet.
| ANT 0080 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $37 |
CERTAINTY -JH97 - After berry sorting, cold soak and maceration, pumping over three times daily, the wine pumped to French barriques for mlf and 9 months maturation. The Art Series range has a clear family approach to each wine, a focus and sophistication that brings certainty to its long-term maturity.
| TUR 0957 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
RICHER DEEPER FULLER - JH95 - Richer, deeper and fuller than most Art Series at this stage of its development; ripe stone fruit and melon fruit. Two bottles tasted; the second slightly tighter and racier than the other. Will develop more quickly than most. - MUSEUM RELEASE
| XLE 1070 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1073 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1072 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 |
FINESSE - JH96 - Still pale quartz-green; the finesse of Art Series Chardonnay when it is young is every bit as enjoyable as is the complexity it gains after six or seven years in bottle (under screwcap), its future still assured. We know that good bottles from the mid-1980s are still glorious, although most are now a shadow of their former selves. What we don't really know is how long the wines such as this live and flourish under screwcap.
| ADS 0789 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $156 | |
| ADS 0790 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $156 |
PERFECT EXAMPLE – JH97 - Craftmanship of the highest order in the vineyard and winery have combined to create a perfect example with this wine. The intensity and power unwind effortlessly, but with multiple aroma and flavour messages from the barrel fermentation and subsequent maturation of the fully ripe, pink grapefruit and peach at its core.
| TUR 0766 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE - JH99 - This achieves another step up the quality ladder for Leeuwin Estate, seemingly impossible. There's been no change in the vinification, nor in the vineyard. The change is an increase in the intensity of the flavours, and hence their length and aftertaste. It's an extraordinary wine, among the greatest of Burgundy (and elsewhere in the world). Whatever you expect from its future development will be delivered. - MUSEUM RELEASE - code XLE
| ACC 17699 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $171 | |
| ACC 17700 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $171 | |
| XLE 1087 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $197 | |
| XLE 1088 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $197 | |
| XLE 1089 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $197 |
UTTER PLEASURE - JH98 - Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay on release is an achingly painful thing to drink, because once you've known the utter pleasure these wines bring at 5 or more years of age, it becomes a mess of cognitive dissonance to drink them so young. They are closed, taut, coiled, but more than anything, populated by rippling fruit that undulates untold through the interminably long finish. They typically don't reveal their kaleidoscopic spice and prismatic fruit flavour until a little further down the track. So, all I can humbly do here, is place the vintage in context. Through the lens of the cool year, this glitters with a purity and finesse that is deeply attractive. Aligned in style with the 2017. MUSEUM RELEASE
MESMERISING - JH97 - A wine that tells the story of chardonnay's evolution in Margaret River and remains at the top of its game because it's a pure expression of place as much as the producer. It’s refreshing, classy and superfine, the acidity reining everything in and towards an outrageously long finish. Mesmerising.
RESPECT -Super RARE near specimen example of the early Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Energy and inspiriation that would lead Margaret River's Leeuwin Estate from Luny Tunes With a Mondavi twist, to recognition as a World Great
| PAU 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $68 |
RICH - JH96 - Deep purple-crimson; a particularly luscious and rich Limestone Ridge, flush with blackcurrant, blackberry and licorice fruit, the full-bodied palate weaving positive oak and ripe tannins into its excellent texture.
| ADS 0824 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
FORGOTTEN JH96 - This shiraz-dominant blend was matured for 18 months in a mix of new and used American and French oak. It is richer, denser and more luscious than in most vintages, but retains excellent balance. Seek and ye shall find licorice, spice, blackberry and mulberry, framed by oak and abundant, ripe tannins. Deserves to sit alongside Penfolds Bin 389, but is usually forgotten.
| ADS 0776 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $24 | |
| ADS 0777 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 | |
| ADS 0778 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 | |
| ADS 0779 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $29 | |
| ADS 0780 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
RATHER LOVELY - JH96 - There’s as much a Moss Wood DNA thumbprint as a regional one here. This shows off violets, cedary/toasty oak (thankfully not too much), chocolate and a slight ironstone character. Fuller bodied yet the palate is smooth and contained with fine-grained, almost silky tannins, plus dabs of sweet mulberries and blackberries with refreshing acidity tying everything together. Rather lovely now but will garner more complexity in time.
MOST COLLECTED - RP97+ - I taste in batches of six, pouring each glass, gassing the bottles and working my way through the flight. Today, this 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured in glass number five, and so it has had some time to breathe. Upon pouring, the nose was so abundantly, luxuriatingly steeped in graphite, fresh lead pencil (a smell so potent and specific and good), forest floor and pure, summer raspberry. After 20 minutes or so in the glass, the oak has begun to recede, and the fruit is swelling up. The 2022 season in Margaret River was warm, dry and early, and the quality of the Cabernets (particularly) was stellar. While the oak is a feature at this stage, the fruit is so sensationally poised and powerful that this will be a super superstar in the decades to come. We know that the old Moss Woods prevail even now—corks willing—and so aided and abetted by modern screw caps, these wines will patiently plod through the coming decades with ease. This is one of Australia's most collected/cellared premium wines for a reason. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
HIGHER ORDER - JH97 - Bright, light straw-green; rich and layered stone fruit (white and yellow peach), fig and balanced by citrussy acidity. Oak handling is of a higher order - as befits the wine.
| JIB 0055 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 | |
| JIB 0064 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 | |
| JIB 0065 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 | |
| JIB 0066 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 | |
| JIB 0067 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 | |
| JIB 0068 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $51 |
ANOTHER GREAT - JH97 - This is a masterclass in refinement. It is svelte and streamlined, the cool, mineral spool of flavour across the tongue is what the 2019 vintage can look like at its most restrained and harnessed. The length of flavour basically flutters out over the finish, so weightless and enduring. The 2018 that came before it had a thundering, legendary quality - legs widespread, hands on hips, power pose. This is the creative in the family, the quiet guy. It's intriguing and intelligent and thoughtful ... poignantly red fruited, spicy and super-supple. I'm descending into hyperbole. It's unnecessary. This is another great Moss Wood release.
| SRO 0588 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 | |
| SRO 0587 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 | |
| LIN 0068 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
FINESSE - JH94 - All about subtlety and finesse; while medium-bodied, has deceptive intensity and length, the five varieties seamlessly moulded into a mix of black and red fruits, fine tannins and a gently savoury finish. Oak? Yes, it's there, but you don't notice it.
| TUR 0836 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $320 |
FIND ITS FEET - H95 - 45% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc, 5% petit verdot and 4% malbec, all vinified separately matured in French oak (35% new) in various larger vessels and vats. The bouquet is gently cedary/savoury, and the palate adds herbal/green olive notes to the finish. It's still to find its feet (all five of them).
| TUR 0792 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $121 | |
| TUR 0793 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $108 |
HARMONY - JH98 - A quintet of 44% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 5% each of malbec and petit verdot, all in harmony. Heady aromatics, the fruit pristine and lightly spiced. But it's the medium-bodied palate that really woos: focused and seamless with superfine yet detailed tannins. Of course it has the beauty and charm of youth but age will send this to another level. Did I mention elegance? Tick.
| TUR 0796 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 | |
| TUR 0797 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 | |
| TUR 0798 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 |
UNDERSTATEMENT - JH98 - A blend of 44/30/18/4/4% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. From a cool year, with the poor flowering reducing the crop of the Quintet varieties by around 50%, this is an essay in elegance and understatement. A medium, bright and translucent ruby red, this is beautifully perfumed with aromas of just-ripened blackcurrants, red cherries, rose petals and gentle cedar notes from the oak. The palate is exceptionally pure fruited and gently textured. The wine finishes with these incredibly silky, long tannins that are in perfect harmony with the fruit and acid. This majestic wine is gorgeous to drink even now but those that still have some in their cellar in 10–15 years (if not longer) will be grateful.
| TUR 0799 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $180 | |
| TUR 0800 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $180 |
TREMENDOUS -JH96 -57/43% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz from Block 10 and Block 5 respectively. This Bin 180, from the outstanding 2021 Coonawarra vintage, is a commemorative release to celebrate Penfolds' 180th anniversary. It is a wine that evokes memories of previous releases such as the Bin 7, Bin 920 and Bin 620. There is an undisputed pedigree here and it shows with the classic Penfolds leitmotif of fruit density, balance and elegance writ large. Beautifully composed with a pitch perfect presence on the palate. Pure dark and blackberry fruits, sheathed in spice, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, panforte, olive tapenade, wild herbs, violets and earth. Poised and detailed with a real sense of grace to its flow across the palate, fine, al dente tannins and a sleek, streamlined travel. It's an impressive, harmonious release befitting such a milestone and one that will be enjoyed for decades to come. Tremendous stuff.
| JIR 0020 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $664 | |
| JIR 0021 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $664 | |
| TUR 0951 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $600 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| BOR 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $128 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0146 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine 2010 Clinic & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $560 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0148 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $384 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now - Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, green pepper and earthy aromas with dark chocolate, roasted walnut and polished leather notes. The palate is full bodied with fine-grained leafy tannins and cedar oak notes, but the fruit is drying out.
| NIK 0487 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $116 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2026 Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, mocha/praline aromas with herb garden and mint characters. Ample and richly flavoured with mature cassis and dark chocolate notes, vigorous fine-grained tannins and integrated mocha/cedar oak. Still holding well. A classic Bin 407 vintage.
| JMO 0296 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $121 | |
| JMO 0297 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $121 |
BEST EVER MAX MAGIC - PERFECT & PRICELESS- 5 Star - Drink now to 2040. The 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A is one of the greatest Australian wines ever made. In a world where egos readily clashed, the Bin 60A unified wine critics and show judges. It is Penfolds most successful show wine, winning 19 trophies and 33 gold medals. A meeting of oenological, physical and philosophical achievement, 1962 Bin 60A is a cross-regional blend that demonstrates the emerging Penfolds House Style of the 1960s and the success of blending cabernet and shiraz. In seeking his “ethereal” wine, Max Schubert identified that the perfumed cassis/violet aromas, elegant flavours and fine-grained tannins of cool-climate Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon could be complemented by the warm-climate characteristics of ripe fruit and round chocolaty textures of Barossa Valley shiraz. Medium-deep brick crimson. Lovely ground coffee, vellum, roasted walnut, tobacco leaf and chinotto aromas with salted liquorice notes. Beautifully concentrated roasted coffee, tobacco and roasted walnut flavours, supple and rich midpalate creaminess, fine loose-knit lacy/silky textures and underlying notes of tar and roses. Gorgeous density, a fine-boned structure and a beautiful feathery plume. In suspended animation. How long will it last? Very rare, with only 425 dozen made. Two-thirds Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon (Sharam’s Block and Block 20) and one-third Barossa Valley shiraz (Kalimna Vineyard’s original shiraz blocks). Vinified and oak matured at Magill Estate. Bottled December 1963 at Auldana. “Gentle, penetrating, ethereal and evergreen. Reserved, effortlessly expansive and silky textured. Gracefully fades at the finish.” (NB) “A polished leather and spicy bouquet followed by a silken palate with flavours spanning forest floor, flower gardens, lacquered wood and antique leather. A marvellous wine in wonderful condition.” (JH) Penfolds Rewards of Patience 8th edition
| BNS 0002 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder, stained label, capsule - embossed Penfolds "zinc" capsuleEx-cellar | Current Bid: $12000 |
VERY RARE - VERY SPECIAL - RP99+ - The release of the 2004 Bin 60A following the epic 1962 Bin 60A is old news now, but the wine was looking very fine indeed when I tasted it so I thought I’d add a note. Blended of 56% Coonawarra Cabernet from Block 20 and 44% Barossa Shiraz from Koonunga Hill Block 56G and Kalimna Blocks 4 and 14, the wine was matured in 100% new American oak hogsheads for 13 months. Very deep purple-black in color, it offers restrained notes of game, smoked meat, earth, blackberry and black currant liqueurs, yeast, marmite-toast plus whiffs of dried lavender, cedar and bark. Very crisp, very tight and very firm, this taut medium-bodied wine is still all structure at this stage, going very long and earthy in the finish. Give it time and consider broaching it from 2014. It should drink well into the 2030s if not beyond. With a lot of changes happening around the Foster’s Group, it is business as usual at Penfolds…which seems to operate within its own world. But this is no small world. The vineyard holdings here are vast and the connections with growers go back generations. Chief winemaker Peter Gago is the very well spoken front-man for the production team backed-up Kym Schroeter in charge of the whites and Steve Lienert crafting some very fine, consistent and sometimes inspired reds. If Champagne is all about the art of blending, then Penfolds is the Champagne of Australian wine. Those that think large companies producing wines that emphasize blending can’t make great wines need to think about the Champagne model or simply try some of Penfolds top wines to become believers. That said – check out their recent single vineyard release: the very special 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, the first release of a wine made purely from this 100+ year old single block (perhaps the oldest block of Cabernet in the world?) since 1996.
| WAY 0074 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $730 |
LOST LEGEND? - Rarer than hen's teeth - Regal lineage, Sibling to Bin 60a 1962 - Made to the highest standard - Value? Try and find another bottle
| ALC 0014 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & label damage | Current Bid: $448 |
707 SENSATION - JH96 - This deeply coloured, full-bodied cabernet finishes its fermentation in new American oak barrels, where it sends the next 13 months; it has an array of blackcurrant and redcurrant fruit drawn from the best cabernet vineyards of Penfolds (and from some growers). The oak and tannins add another dimension, and the wine will still be improving 20 years hence.
| 08G 0050 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $450 | |
| 08G 0051 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $450 |
PERFECT 70 - From the dawn of Australain dry red table wine - From the experimental Penfolds Grange days - Bin 80C is a close relative to the fabulously rare and legendary 1954 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
| NIK 0386 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1992, label damage | Current Bid: $2800 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2045 - Deep brick crimson. Intense cassis, blackcurrant, polished leather, dark chocolate and sage aromas with espresso/leafy complexity. Lovely concentrated blackcurrant, dried plum, mulberry, and liquorice flavours, fine-grainy tannins, silken/supple mid-palate and underlying roasted chestnut/vanilla oak. Finishes cedar/leafy firm. Beautiful density, power and elegance. One of the great Penfolds reds of this decade. “A seriously good wine and developing very well. Has the blood lines of Bin 64.” (JH) “A towering monument to Barossa cabernet, built on dark, ripe fruit and load-bearing tannins. A celebration of the tanned muscular varietal character that old vines in warmer climes can bring.” (NR)
| 106 0894 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $560 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2060 Medium-deep crimson, intense blackberry, dried plum, grilled nut, shellac, walnut panforte, cherry liqueur and chinotto aromas with roasted chestnut and vanilla notes. Generous ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, panforte, grilled nut and shellac flavours with chocolaty tannins, mocha vanilla spice and oak notes with beautifully balanced acidity. Finishes chocolaty firm with plenty of mineral length and freshness. A decadent and hedonistic wine with extraordinary fruit density and attack. One of the greatest. 95 percent shiraz, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. Voted Red Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator magazine in December 1995. “A famous vintage and wine. Everything is laid out with infinite precision finesse and length. At the peak of perfection.” (JH) “Fresh, vibrant and voluminous with layers of cedar, spice and mulberries and underlying but animated tannins.” (FW)
| SCF 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 | Current Bid: $628 |
FABULOUS THIRTY - JH95 - In the manner of all great stayers, has picked up pace markedly over the past year. Deeply coloured, ripe cherry, spice, vanilla and a hint of licorice rumble through the bouquet; the palate is powerful and sustained by sweet tannins, the plum and black cherry fruit providing the core for the future.
| STO 0280 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $480 | |
| STO 0281 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $480 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience – Drink 2036 to 2060 Deep crimson. Intense pure elderberry, blackberry and liquorice aromas with roasted chestnut, vanilla and camomile notes. Plush and densely packed with elderberry, blackberry liquorice flavours, plentiful fine chalky tannins and underlying mocha, vanilla and roasted chestnut oak notes. Finishes chocolaty firm with abundant sweet fruits. Classical, powerful and expressive Grange with superb density, richness and balance. Still needs time to unfold. 96 percent shiraz, 4 percent cabernet sauvignon. Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate (Adelaide). “Expressive blueberry kirsch dark chocolate notes. Beautifully proportioned palate with lovely density and richness. Best to step back from this.” (NB) “Watch this wine closely because it’s a veryspecial and important Grange!” (PG)
| SZY 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $504 | |
| SZY 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $504 | |
| SZY 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $504 | |
| SZY 0014 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $504 | |
| SZY 0016 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $505 | |
| PHY 0008 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $521 |
THE VERY BEST - Under the circumstances - Great wine from a shocking vintage - RARE
| LSA 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $500 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience – Drink 2035 to 2060 - Deep crimson. Fresh blackberry, mulberry,mocha and liquorice aromas with vanilla spice and espresso notes. Richly flavoured with plush sweet blackberry, mulberry, liquorice flavours, plentiful fine chalky dense tannins, grilled nut, mocha, vanilla, meaty complexity, superb mid-palate buoyancy, viscosity and integrated fresh acidity. Finishes chocolaty al dente firm. Still elemental in structure with amazing density and richness. A great Grange vintage. 98 percent shiraz, 2 percent cabernet sauvignon. Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. “Beautifully controlled and restrained with superb black fruit, graphite notes and compact tight porcelain structure. Will steadily reveal itself like a Fabergé egg.” (NB) “Full bodied, intense and unrelenting. Masterly management of tannins, oak and high-quality fruit make this an outstanding Grange.” (JH)
| MDW 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $700 | |
| EST 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $768 |
MOST DECORATED - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Bin 95 - Rewards of Patience - Drink now. Medium crimson. Fresh and mature with parsnip, aniseed and slightly soupy miso and demi-glace notes with a touch of crushed ant. Developed gamey, roasted walnut, roasted parsnip, dark chocolate and leathery flavours, with fine loose-knit/sinewy tannins and long fresh acidity. Some dried roses and vellum notes. Still holding, but rare. 90 percent shiraz and 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley) and McLaren Vale. The most decorated Grange – winner of 12 trophies and 52 gold medals during its relatively short career on the Australian wine show circuit. Spent only nine months in oak. Named by US magazine Wine Spectator as one of 12 “Wines of the Millennium” in 2000. Bin 95 is the most common bottling and commercially available. Also released as Bins 13, 14, 53, 54 and 148A. “Still showing some cut flowers, mocha and sweet fruits but not a great bottle despite its fame and history.” (JH) shoulders, expansive tannins and slightly menacing snarl despite its flagging energy.” (NR)
| NIK 0555 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018, slight label damage | Current Bid: $8000 |
PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink Soon. Medium-deep brick crimson. Intense roasted walnut panforte and hazelnut aromas with apricot, stone fruit, cedar and floral notes. Generous developed panforte and apricot flavours, sweet and plentiful tannins and underlying roasted walnut, grilled nut, vanilla oak complexity with integrated acidity. Finishes slightly leathery but chalky firm with attractive espresso and ground coffee notes. Just past its peak of development, although the elements are still aligned. Rare. 95 percent shiraz, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide), McLaren Vale. Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner. Released as Bin 95 (also as Bins 69, 70 and 71). “Dried leaves, faded roses, liquorice and ecclesiastical smoke. Muscular firm in structure with the fruit fading away.” (NR) “Spice box, cedar and sandalwood. Tertiary on entry but the finish still carries delicate sweet fruit. Graceful and elegant.” (FW)
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0554 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 1991, label detached | Current Bid: $2400 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0155 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1084 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP90 - A blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, this was considered "a good wine from an undistinguished vintage." It certainly was outstanding in June in Adelaide, showing a terrific nose of blackberry jam intermixed with sweet earth, plum, brown sugar, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, rich, and fully mature, this layered, concentrated, very fresh wine even exhibited some espresso-infused chocolate in the finish. It should drink well for another 5-7 years. RP 2002 TASTING
| JKN 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $712 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FOUR STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink Soon. A sturdy Grange with surprising richness and muscular frame. Barnyard notes are now beginning to dominate but some good bottles around. 90 percent shiraz, 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley and Coonawarra.
| NIK 0437 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2008, slightly stained label | Current Bid: $1600 | |
| STO 0276 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012 & label damage | Current Bid: $1200 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP100 - Consistently one of the most awesome wines ever made at Grange, this blend of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9% alcohol) was the first Australian wine to cost $20 upon release. I have had this wine six separate times, every time rating it between 96 and 100. It had a phenomenal showing at Penfolds' Magill estate. The color is an opaque purple, the wine massive, full-bodied, and to me, the quintessential Grange. Notes of blackberry liqueur intermixed with cassis, charcoal, new saddle leather, and underbrush resonate from the glass. Huge, thick, unctuously textured, with extraordinary concentration but perfect harmony among all of its elements, this is a prodigious Grange that is still not fully mature. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. A legend for sure!
FABULOUS FORTY - CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to past. At the end of its optimum life. Some bottles holding up with advanced maturity but fine sinewy tannins. Very rare. 90 percent shiraz, 10 percent cabernet sauvignon. Magill Estate and Morphett Vale (Adelaide) and Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley). The third and final “hidden Grange”. Released as Bin 46 (also Bins 49 and 95). The Bin 95 bottling was the most commercially available. Specimen - Very Collectable
| NIK 0567 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & slight label damage | Current Bid: $8000 |
WOW - JH98 - Wow. A 61/39% blend of Barossa shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet led to 1962 Bin 60A, Max Schubert's single greatest wine. This inherits Bin 60A's regional and varietal blend, its extreme longevity and impeccable balance between fruit, oak and tannins. All it needs is lots of time.
| TUR 0649 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $388 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 Medium-deep crimson. Attractive dark cherry, plum and praline aromas with hint of tar. Plush and concentrated with dark cherry, plum, blackberry, rich dark chocolate and tarry flavours, fine-dense satin tannins and underlying roasted chestnut and vanilla oak. Chalky dry finish with attractive mineral length. “Fresh black fruits progressively unfurl their sails. A powerfully complete wine.” (JH) “A gorgeous wine with beautiful dark fruits and polished velvety tannins.” (JR)
| KEL 0222 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2038. Medium-deep crimson. Classic dark berry and dark chocolate aromas with meaty vanilla notes. Dense blackberry, praline and graphite flavours with fine grainy/al dente textures, persistent fine acidity and savoury mocha oak. Well-balanced wine with underlying roasted chestnut, polished leather notes. “Luminous, elegant and succulent with clear deep dark berry fruits, and persistent, vice-like tannins.” (NB) “An exceptional RWT with layered depth and power.” (NR)
| 106 0876 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| 106 0877 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
PRODIGIOUS - JH98 - May explain why Kalimna Bin 28 is the least of the Bin series reds, for this wine takes the finest shiraz from the Barossa Valley once Grange has had its choice. The call is made early, because this wine spends 16 months in French oak hogsheads (75% new), finishing its ferment in that oak, separating it at birth from Grange in American oak. The bouquet abounds with black fruits, with sub-notes of dark chocolate, licorice and some charcuterie. The palate is drop-dead gorgeous, a curious description given its strongly savoury flavour range, but it achieves the unlikely. As with all these wines, the tannin structure is exceptional, the length prodigious.
| TUR 0617 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| TUR 0618 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| TUR 0619 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
QUIXOTIC - JH97 - Bottle no. BX084. The quixotic RWT (Red Wine Trial) name used since '87 now has a bin number and a bottle number, the latter to thwart counterfeiting. It completed fermentation in French hogsheads, followed by 17 months maturation. The power and length of the wine is awesome, as is the price - but it's what the global market is prepared to pay.
| TUR 0614 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0615 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| TUR 0616 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0152 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds re-corking Clinic 1997, very high shoulder, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $188 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2032 -Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark cherry, roasted walnut and sandalwood aromas with cocoa notes. A richly concentrated wine with apricot, raspberry and dark cherry flavours, fine lacy textures and attractive mid-palate suppleness. Firm and chalky al dente finish with chinotto notes. Really lovely wine with elegance, suppleness and developed sweet fruit. “Opulent and creamy with kirsch, raspberry liqueur, potpourri and exotic spices, fine plentiful tannins and resonating floral notes. A powerful wine with underlying delicacy.” (JR) “Dried cherries with clove, cedar and pencil shavings. Modulated power on the palate with a core of sweet red fruit, spice, cigar box and coating tannin finesse.” (FW)
CLASSIC VINTAGE - JH95 - I am singularly unconvinced that St Henri should be one sixth of the price of Grange, particularly with a classic vintage such as this. Piquantly ripe and fragrant, it is fruit-driven from start to finish (still matured in large, old oak vats), with a smooth and supple fresh berry palate and plush tannins
| KEL 0206 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $112 | |
| KEL 0207 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $112 | |
| KEL 0208 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $112 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink 2023 to 2045 - Medium-deep crimson. Fresh blackberry, cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate, ginger and five-spice aromas. Beautifully concentrated black cherry, cassis and liquorice flavours, ripe and dense chocolaty textures, rose garden and aniseed notes and pronounced indelible acidity. Finishes chalky firm and minerally. A great St Henri vintage. “Beautifully composed with ripe blackberry and raspberry fruits and fresh liquorice graphite notes. Very stylish and silky with a very intricate weave of succulent fruits and extra fine-grainy tannins.” (NB) “Joins the quintet of 1971, 1990, 1996, 2004 and 2016 as one of the all-time greats.” (PG)
SUPER - RP94+ - A huge rush of cedar and vanilla greet the nose on opening, followed by waves of cassis and boysenberry fruit. The 2018 802.A Superblend is a mix of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Shiraz, all raised in 100% new American oak for 22 months and blended just prior to bottling. With components drawn from several of South Austrralia's premium growing regions (led by Barossa and McLaren Vale), this is a full-bodied, lush wine that finishes with driving tannins and a long, velvety finish, yet it doesn't seem as seamless or elegant as its 802.B counterpart. Perhaps it just needs more time? Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
| TUR 0650 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $520 |
MONUMENTAL - RP99 - When Peter explained this wine to me prior to tasting it, I was skeptical. Nervous. Hesitant. "It's the essence of Yattarna, in effect," Gago said. The NV V is composed of 20% each of 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and the yet to be released 2021 Yattarna. It's risky behavior, this. Each of the already-bottled older vintages are emptied under gas pressure and blended—an equal share each way. It's tempting to compare it to the G3, G4, G5 project, however in each of those wines, the vintage contributions are distinct and recognizable. Here, the vintages are synergistic, melded together—easier to understand in the context of reserve wines in Champagne, or even a solera. There is pert acidity and precision on the front palate, presumably thanks to the 2021 vintage. Through the middle palate and finish, the wine plumes and grows in the mouth. It is infinitely more complex and deep than the single-vintage Yattarna tasted next to it. This V has a thundering baritone, a resonance to the reverberation of flavor in the mouth. It almost vibrates. It is only through the finish that you can taste the evolution of the oldest wines—a lick of salt, almond skin, brine and tasted crushed nuts. This is a monumental wine. A 360-degree view of Chardonnay. Truly kaleidoscopic. 2,200 bottles in total.
| JIR 0018 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $632 |
GOSSAMAR - JH99 - From Blewitt Springs, an easterly slope planted in '99. Open-fermented, 14 days on skins, pressed to barrel (50% new French hogsheads) on gross lees for 9 months, racked for the next 9 months. Marvellous wine, fluid, juicy and vibrant, with a very long finish, the tannins a gossamer web.
| TUR 0695 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| TUR 0696 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
CLASSIC - JH96 - Excellent colour; much firmer and more concentrated than Eight Songs; classy blackberry fruit, equally classy oak, and tannins which have more authority, the last still to fully soften into the wine. This is, and will be for many years, a classic.
| ADS 0827 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
MATRIX - JH96 - Deep crimson-purple, remarkable for age, although it was a great vintage; the transition from American to French oak has added lustre to the bouquet and medium-bodied palate; the dark fruits and bitter chocolate flavours are intense and long, with a matrix of juicy and savoury characters to play with.
| ADS 0809 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| ADS 0810 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
IMPENETRABLE -JH96 - Impenetrable colour; a flagship wine without excessive baggage and window dressing; pure, ripe and fragrant Barossa fruit, layered, perfumed and attractive in every regard; the palate is densely structured, but far removed from overbearing, with a fine thread of tannins and a long and expansive finish; a lovely fresh wine from a challenging vintage.
| ADS 0805 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| ADS 0806 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
CLASSIC - JH95 - Classic Pierro chardonnay with its power and drive thanks to spicy sweet vanilla oak and creamy butterscotch flavours from lees stirring and mlf. Yet it's balanced and harmonised by neat acidity, grapefruit, white peach and some smoky sulphides.
| JIB 0093 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| JIB 0095 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| JIB 0098 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| JIB 0099 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| JIB 0100 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| JIB 0101 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
PURE - JH96 - 100% mlf, matured in French oak (50% new) for 12 months. Some wines demand a minute before you can put words to them. This has tremendous length of flavour, such is the quality of the fruit, that it just forges on and on. Suffice to say, the full mlf style has helped accentuate creamy, powerful fruit, and seamlessly applied oak caresses it through the finish. This is very pure – crystalline in fact – but it is very young right now.
| JIB 0010 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| JIB 0011 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| JIB 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH96 - A beautiful wine, intriguingly more elegant than the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot LTCf, with a silky fragrance and mouthfeel, the accent on a rainbow of red fruits, the tannins exceptionally fine.
| WAY 0239 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| WAY 0240 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| WAY 0238 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| WAY 0237 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| WAY 0235 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| WAY 0233 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 |
EXCELLENT - JH94 - Retains good hue; has excellent balance and structure to the array of cassis and blackcurrant fruit, finishing with fine tannins.
| WAY 0252 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0251 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0250 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0247 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0246 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 | |
| WAY 0245 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 |
A LOT TO LIKE - JH95 - There seems to be a lightness of touch to the 2020 Pierro offerings. This is quiet and quite ethereal, laced with red currants and blueberries, cedary oak and spices, dark chocolate and forest floor aromas. A touch shy of medium bodied, the tannins are supple, there’s chalky acidity throughout and a lot to like.
| ACC 17316 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ACC 17511 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 | |
| ACC 17513 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $64 |
ELEGANT- INTENSE- JH97 - Hand-picked fruit, destemmed, 12-day ferment, 10 days post-ferment soak with vessel sealed; matured in French puncheons (25% new) for 11 months. Vivid crimson purple, slightly deeper than that of its siblings. The bouquet is extremely complex, with satsuma plum, dark cherry and a crescendo of spices, the palate as elegant as it is intense, and throwing in a pinch of savoury tannins.
| ANT 0087 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $42 |
BEAUTIFUL THING - RP97 - The 2015 Kraehe Shiraz is a wine in stasis; it is aging slowly, albeit with mineral grace and poise. The fruit is intense, make no mistake, but it exerts a sense of balance and harmony over the palate and drags out through the long finish. This speaks of Marananga, it speaks of Shiraz and it speaks of Dave Powell too. It's a beautiful thing, this wine, and it has a long future in front of it, as all of these wines do. It's built for aging. And the 2015s are looking magnificent in 2024. The oak is charry and evident, but it works so well with the fruit. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| XPO 0415 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0416 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0668 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0670 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0671 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0672 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 |
SUPERB - RP97 - The 2015 Steinert Shiraz hails from Flaxman's Valley, and it's composed and fresh, spicy and vibrant. What a wine this is. Superb. The oak is starting to ameliorate into the fruit, and the fruit spools through the finish in tendrils and wisps; the curls of flavor fade like the smoke from a candle. Elegant. 14,.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
| XPO 0683 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0684 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0726 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0729 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0681 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 | |
| XPO 0682 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $533 |
FRESHNESS & EXOTICISM - RP96 - Eden Valley Shiraz can reach heady heights of bacon fat, blueberries and graphite, in a single fell swoop. It’s the fruit, not the oak, that takes us there and what defines the best. The trick is the inherent balance of freshness and exoticism in the mouth. The Steinert vineyard (480 meters in elevation) in Flaxman’s Valley is more than 130+ years old and was once an old Rockford vineyard. Low yielding at one ton to the acre, the wine was matured for 20-24 months in oak. This 2017 Steinert Flaxman’s Shiraz is spicy and very long. The oak is still prominent, but the fruit has an opulence and plushness beneath it that shows the longevity of the wine. This has not reached its first peak yet.
| XPO 0864 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $529 | |
| XPO 0872 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $529 | |
| XPO 0863 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $529 | |
| XPO 0862 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $529 | |
| XPO 0821 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $529 | |
| XPO 0819 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $529 |
TOUR de FORCE - RP96-99 - The Anamorphosis project features Shiraz from Kalimna in the Barossa Valley aged in new oak from four of France’s finest coopers. Like most of the other R Wines, it has exceptionally creative packaging. There will be 100 cases of the 2005 Shiraz which will spend 30 months in new French oak. It was sourced from vineyards with 40- and 100-year-old vines. Opaque purple in color, it offers up an intense perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, tar, licorice, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Voluptuous, thick rich, and full-bodied, it is a powerful yet seamless expression of Shiraz from a great terroir. It will age effortlessly for 20 years but can be enjoyed young because of its mammoth fruit. It is a winemaking tour de force.
| TUR 0840 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $800 |
FOREVER CLASSIC - One of the Basket Press Greats - and in Magnum!
| ADS 0837 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $340 |
AGE OF AQUARIUS - The time of sharing and Kibbutz Krondorf - Super Rare, old BP
| WAY 0076 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $183 | |
| WAY 0077 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $183 |
A CLASSIC - JH95 - The brown glass, high-shouldered proprietary bottle gives the right message: this is a classic, gently understated Barossa Shiraz that will sail on for decades if the dubiously short cork permits. Drinking it sooner would not be a capital offence.
| WAY 0009 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $189 | |
| WAY 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $189 | |
| WAY 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $189 | |
| JMO 0082 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $440 |
NO SECRETS - JH95 - Medium red-purple; this is in the heartland of Barossa Valley shiraz style, the custom-made bottle a throwback to the 1940s; the bouquet is fragrant, and hides no secrets: silky, ripe tannins, abundant blackberry and spice fruit, and oak in perfect unison.
| NIK 0472 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| NIK 0415 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $176 | |
| ADS 0823 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 |
AGE - JH96 - Deep garnet with a purple hue; this benchmark wine from an iconic producer is laden with vibrant purple and black fruits, floral notes, earthy complexity and well executed oak handling; the palate is juicy, direct and layered, with fine-grained tannins providing an armchair ride for the vibrant and plush fruit that is on board. This will age tremendously well, but many will enjoy it without giving it that chance.
| GJ3 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 | |
| GJ3 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 |
NOT - JH95 - Difficult season, but it's not a difficult wine. Fans of the label with some already stashed in their cellar can breathe easy. It's fuller in body than the season might have predicted, but more elegant than is usual for this wine. Blackberry, raspberry, coffee grounds, toast and vanilla fill it out, with herbs and peppers whispering through the finish. Tannin is the key: it's ripe, fine, marked by its finesse and yet determined to get its point across. Perhaps not a long-termer, but no doubting either its merit or drinking appeal.
| JMO 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $165 | |
| JMO 0084 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $165 |
GREAT - JH96 - A great classic from a great vintage. At the end of the day, it's all about the grapes that come from loyal growers who shook hands with Rocky O'Callaghan many years ago. There are no magic tricks in the winery, just attention to detail.
| GJ3 0042 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 | |
| GJ3 0043 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $192 |
ALLURE - JH95 - The beautiful label, traditional brown bottle, and the wine within, all have an allure. It's the richness and depth of the tannin structure - velvety and ripe, the suppleness on the palate, the savoury thread with coffee grounds, pepper, bitumen and yes oak but everything in its place plus its heady perfume with florals and red plums.
| NIK 0419 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for Milan, New York & Japan - Dont need ratings
| MJB 0200 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| MJB 0202 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| LIN 0060 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| LIN 0061 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| ADS 0820 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 | |
| ADS 0838 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $400 |
RICH - JH94 - The style is familiar – rich, plum-driven fruit, a toasty element, a creaminess to the texture – but there's a sinewy element to this release, aided and abetted by herb, twig and earth characters. This gives the wine a cooler dynamic, a less-is-more feel. In keeping with that, its best drinking days are likely to be in the medium rather than short or long term.
SCORES COMING - Maybe NOT?
| MJB 0207 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| LIN 0066 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| 303 0229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| 303 0230 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| ADS 0831 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0162 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0163 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0165 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0166 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0167 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0168 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0169 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $69 | |
| BRU 0170 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $69 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0171 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0172 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0173 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| BRU 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0175 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0176 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 | |
| BRU 0179 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 |
CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Year long GRACE
| MJB 0209 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0210 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0211 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0212 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| MJB 0214 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
SECRET BAROSSA BUSINESS
| JMO 0074 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $198 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0404 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $380 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0547 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $210 | |
| NIK 0549 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0403 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0400 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $300 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0544 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0545 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
ADORED - JH98 - Fraser McKinley's epic Dallwitz Syrah is again in stellar form with the 2022 release. Like everything Fraser does, the attention to detail is amazing, from vineyard to packaging. It hails from the Hoffmann vineyard in Ebenezer. A cask selection from DW-OLD (planted between 1888–1912), ER-27 (planted 1927) and DW-95VSP (planted 1995) with a 76 week elevage in Burgundian pièces. Perfectly ripened macerated satsuma plum, black cherry and cassis with blueberry lift; layered with exotic spice, graphite, allspice, pan juices, panforte, dark chocolate, plum conserve, violets, fennel and rich earth. Heady concentration and perfectly poised, with powdery tannins sporting a real sense of compression and singing clearly of their northern Barossa roots. It's a stunning wine. Much adored and sought after, and it sure is easy to see why.
| JIM 0078 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $146 | |
| JIM 0079 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $136 |
SWAN SONG - Act #2 - WA's Swan Valley from 1829, one of Australias oldest wine growthing districts - 1985 saw the beginning of the dry red wines serious rise - Act #3? Check out today's Swan Lux Shiraz and Grenache
| PAU 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $7 |
BEFORE ST PETER'S -JH96 - Old vines and 18 months in new French oak produce a wondrously complex array of dark berry, plum, leather, licorice and chocolate aromas and flavours, the concentration of the fruit offset by savoury tannins.
| JMO 0361 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $29 | |
| JMO 0362 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $29 |
WILDLY -JH96 - It's hard to imagine that Seppelt was making sparkling shiraz at its famous cellar near the town of Great Western, in the Grampians region, as far back as the 1890s, but indeed it was. Heritage doesn't come much richer, deeper, or more individual. This release is wildly complex, rich in its base fruit, satisfying and intriguing. It tastes of licorice and leather, game and citrus, sweet raspberry/plum and earth. It's bold, savoury and mellow at once; it's melancholy and joy in one.
| TUR 0938 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| TUR 0939 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
EPIC - JH96 - Very deep colour; an epic, multi-faceted, engaging and complex wine; a vast array of red to black fruit aromas, intermingle with a dark heart of minerals and tar; lovely ripe, chewy tannins perfectly frame the abundant fruit.
| ADS 0821 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $38 |
FLAGSHIP - JH96 - This flagship shiraz comes via hand-picked fruit, 100% whole bunches, wild fermented and matured 10 months in 2 new French oak puncheons. While it's not a blockbuster, it is built to age. The oak is overt, needing to settle, so it's somewhat smoky and meaty. Yet allowing it to breathe reveals a core of dark fruit, all spicy and peppery, with textural, slightly drying tannins. It is savoury, complex and will reward the patient drinker.
| XWA 2418 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $122 | |
| XWA 2417 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $122 |
GLORIOUS - JH95 - The glorious bright crimson hue is a come-on with a question that I will speedily answer: it is ripe, and it has excellent tannins that provide support for the red and sour cherry fruit.
| SRO 0705 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 | |
| SRO 0706 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $28 |
ENDLESS FOLDS - JH96 - You may break a wrist picking the dreadnought bottle up, but it's worth the task. This surely is as powerful and focused as it was when first bottled, its future as far away as that of Pluto, starting to reveal its secrets in 9? years from now, but with more to come thereafter. Despite all this, the wine is calm, and you don't feel its alcohol in the endless folds of black fruits, graphite, licorice and clove flavours.
| WAY 0198 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $139 | |
| WAY 0197 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $139 | |
| WAY 0196 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $139 | |
| WAY 0195 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $139 | |
| WAY 0194 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $139 |
HIDDEN STANDARD - The Standish in magnum from a great cellar - Check it out!
| ADS 0839 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $325 |
BIG FAN - JH96 - Grenache sourced from gnarled old vines over on the western range. Despite the fact that I had a close call with a fired-up brown snake in this vineyard, I'm a big fan of this wine. It's got a cruisey, loose-knit and expressive savoury vibe: all detailed raspberry, mulberry and red plum shades and a gorgeous array of gingery spice, red licorice, star anise, sarsparilla, cola, Chinese barbecue shop and earth. This openness of expression is juxtaposed by a cascade of chalky tannin and a mineral-rich focus with an exotically spiced plume of red fruits on the exit.
| ACC 17207 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17208 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 | |
| ACC 17209 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $159 |
INCREASED - RP99 - I feel like the consistency and quality of Torbreck's flagship wine has only increased over time. The 2012 RunRig is gorgeously floral and vibrant, with concentrated red berries, characteristic weight and intensity on the palate and supple, silky tannins. It's delicious now, but it should age gracefully through at least 2035.
| TUR 0675 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0676 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
VERY IMPRESSIVE - RP98+ - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2013 RunRig has a tantalizingly exotic nose of cloves, fenugreek, star anise and cassia with a core of mulberries, baked blackberries and blueberry preserves plus hints of potpourri and dusty earth. The full-bodied palate is multilayered with tons of spices and berry preserves notes, supported by firm yet velvety tannins and finishing with incredible length and depth. This is a very impressive RunRig.
| TUR 0677 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
OH SO SATSIFYING - RP97+ - Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Run Rig opens with a bang, delivering intense fruits of the forest and blackberry preserve notes with hints of sandalwood, cardamom, dried Provence herbs, Indian spices and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and oh, so satisfying, the beauty ticks all the great Barossa Shiraz boxes and then some. It is still relatively primary, so I’d recommend giving it another 2-3 years at least in bottle and drink it over the next 20+.
| ACC 17221 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 | |
| ACC 17222 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 | |
| ACC 17223 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $349 |
TOUR DE FORCE - RP98 - Who would've thought that in the context of Barossa Shiraz, the 2015 RunRig would seem like a relative bargain? It's certainly much less expensive than Grange or Hill of Grace will be when they're released. It's also more approachable in its youth, with enormously appealing aromas of grilled fruit, savory complexities and rich, velvety tannins. Of course, it's full-bodied and concentrated, with the stuffing to age for up to a couple of decades, and it has a long, licorice-tinged finish. Winemaker Ian Hongell, who joined Torbreck from Peter Lehmann, may not have made this wine, but he deserves a lot of credit for the blending and finishing of this tour de force.
| ACC 17213 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17214 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17215 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 | |
| ACC 17216 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $339 |
MASTERPIECE - RP100 - A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier made just prior to bottling, the 2016 RunRig is a complete masterpiece. It kicks off with elegant notes of pencil shavings accenting blueberries and blackberries on the nose, then shows incredible, palate-staining intensity of fruit in the mouth. It's full-bodied, plush and velvety without being unstructured and manages to be fruit-forward yet savory on the long-lasting finish, where it picks up hints of mocha and black olives. This should be drinkable with pleasure throughout its entire two-decade life (it may live longer from cold cellars or in larger formats), but if I were lucky enough to have a bottle or two, I'd try the first one about 10 years out. Scheduled for June 2019 release.
TREMENDOUS - RP98 - As usual, the 2017 RunRig is approximately 2% Viognier. It spent almost 30 months in oak, 40% of which was new. Hints of peach or apricot appear on the nose, alongside notes of hickory smoke, cherries and baking spices. It's full-bodied and concentrated but supple and silky enough to seem lighter in the mouth, showing tremendous length and elegance on the finish, where it adds nuances of cinnamon and cocoa.
| ACC 17217 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 17219 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $299 | |
| ACC 17220 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $299 |
DAMN ENJOYABLE - RP99 - Torbreck's 2018 RunRig needs a bit of air right now, as the nose and palate truly open up and expand after a while in the glass. Unlike some vintages, it's rather tight and cedary upon first pour, then relaxes to reveal hints of stone fruit, blueberries, cherries, pastry crust and baking spices. In the mouth, it's full-bodied and concentrated, richly textured and marked by ripe tannins, which leave behind a velvety, mouth-coating finish tinged with licorice and dark berries. While approachable now—and even damn enjoyable—it deserves another several years in the cellar. Drink the 2018 Descendant while waiting.
| ACC 17228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 |
KALEIDOSCOPIC VORTEX - RP98 - The... how to describe this... it's like a kaleidoscopic vortex of midnight flavor (dark, dense, brooding and spicy), swirling tannins and endlessly plush length. The Viognier in this 2019 RunRig has been absorbed somehow, compressed by the warm, low-yielding vintage that birthed it. It has been pushed down into the reaches of the Shiraz, which is a very good thing, as its propensity for slinky-like bounce and spiral needs some limiting. This is insanely complex yet also balanced. Charry oak frames the wines from all sides, but like the gravity pull on the earth from the sun, the oak is drawn inexorably inward. Pretty impressive, but this wine always is. A beast unto itself, wines like this have few peers.
| JIR 0017 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $376 | |
| WAY 0176 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $210 | |
| WAY 0177 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $195 |
ANOTHER GREAT - JH97 - I guess you could call the RunRig a modern Barossa classic. 98/2% shiraz/viognier, it's an epic wine, a solid plinth of black and blues fruits deeply etched with exotic spice and earth. Hints of clove, star anise, Old Gold chocolate, licorice, pan juices, earth, dried meats, rose petals, black tea and graphite. Unctuous with great length of flavour and fine, silty tannins suffusing through the wine, it's a study in power and purity, light and shade and all that is great about ancient Barossa shiraz vines. Another great RunRig release.
DEEP - JH97 - Deep and densely coloured; full-bodied and rich in Torbreck style. On the first assessment the wine is indeed impressive, then impact ex tannins and alcohol hit, then a mouthful of soda water recalibrates all the black cherry, blackberry, licorice and charcuterie flavours come striding through on the mid-palate and on to the finish.
| TUR 0914 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
POWER WITH GRACE - JH96 - 100% shiraz sourced from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer, aged for 12 months in French oak. Glossy red purple in the glass with characters of ripe satsuma plum and macerated summer berry fruits, Asian five-pice, cedar, licorice and Old Jamaica chocolate. Fruit weight, purity and intensity perfectly on point here, tannins too, fine and long. There just seems to be so much packed into the wine yet everything is in proportion and true. Power with grace.
| ACC 17476 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17477 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17478 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17479 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17480 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
CHAMPION - JH96 - Shiraz from the parishes of Gomersal, Krondorf, Marananga and Ebenezer matured in French oak (40% new) for 24 months. This year's Factor sports an inky, graphite-led intensity of fruit and a sense of purity. Compression, too, with deep satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits initially feeling compact and tight before exploding onto the palate with substantial tannin heft and layers of dark spice, cedar, licorice and dark chocolate. While you could happily tuck into this tonight, it will cellar like a champion
| ACC 17194 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| ACC 17195 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
IMMACULATELY MADE - JH97 - From the Eden Valley. An immaculately made shiraz with a disciplined and light touch, making the alcohol irrelevant; it sinuously weaves its way through the black fruits of the medium to full-bodied palate, which make more impact than tannins or oak (or alcohol). Perfect length, line and balance will give the wine a very long future, guaranteed by the screwcap.
| WAY 0511 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $52 |
MAGNIFICIENT - JH97 - Prior to the arrival of The Laird, RunRig was Torbreck's top wine at $235 a bottle. Why the huge price gap? It is in limited production (646 dozen), but so is RunRig. It comes from a remarkable single vineyard that David Powell had coveted for 15 years. Apart from a high level of vigilance, normal open fermentation and basket pressing; following Guigal's 'La La's', it spent three years in new and hideously expensive Tardieu Laurent French barriques with staves 45 mm thick (normally 22 to 27 mm). Over the three years the oak becomes embedded in the fruit, supporting not overwhelming it, layer upon layer of gloriously complex flavours, the tannins superbly weighted. A magnificent wine from a great vintage.
| WAY 0169 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $428 | |
| WAY 0170 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $428 |
STUNNING - RP100 - Deep garnet colored with a touch of remaining purple at the rim, the 2012 The Laird is one of those wines you could just go on smelling all day. It opens with a complex perfume of kirsch, dried mulberries, blackberry tart and spice cake over cloves, mocha, dusty earth, incense, star anise, yeast extract and aged beef. The full-bodied palate is drop-dead seductive, unfurling in the mouth to reveal exotic spice, meat, earth and berry preserves layers, supported by firm, velvety tannins and seamless acid. The finish seems to go on forever—and this is exactly what you want it to do. Stunning.
| TUR 0917 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $460 |
EXPLOSIVE - RP97 - Torbreck's 2015 The Laird boasts explosive aromas of Christmas spices, ripe plums, vanilla, hickory smoke and maple syrup. It's a big wine, loaded with fruit and oak, full-bodied, rich and velvety, adding hints of toasted coconut and cinnamon streusel on the long, almost dessert-like finish. For a more savory experience, age it a decade or so before pulling a cork
| WAY 0160 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $388 | |
| WAY 0162 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $388 | |
| WAY 0161 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $388 |
ANOTHER FEW YEARS - RP98 - Torbreck's 2016 The Laird is just being released after its extended time in barrel. I'm still unconvinced by the élevage, as the wood seems to have the upper hand, marking the nose with scents of smoke, cedar, menthol and baking spices. Yes, there's ample underlying fruit—mulberries and Italian plums—but it all takes on a slightly dessert-like cast that's only partially balanced by lingering hints of black olives, licorice and caramelized meat on the extended finish. Give this another few years in bottle so the oak-imparted notes further meld with the fruit and form a more complete, harmonious whole.
| WAY 0157 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $428 |
MASTERPIECE - JH95 - Made from 1847 estate plantings, and must surely contend for historical pride of place, notwithstanding the claims of others. Smooth, plum and black cherry fruit on the bouquet, then a supple, smooth palate with black fruits, spice, cedar and vanilla. A masterpiece of understatement.
| JMO 0045 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $40 | |
| JMO 0044 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $50 |
COMPLEX - JH95 - As complex and elegant as ever, notwithstanding higher than usual alcohol; gently spicy blackberry and blood plum fruit; fine tannins, fine French oak.
CLASSIC - JH95 - Bright purple-red; replete with dark fruits ranging through blackberry, plum, prune and a dash of licorice; very focused and controlled; no artifice or exaggeration, simply classic restraint.
| JMO 0307 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
ICON - RP97+ - There are three “icon” wines in the portfolio. The opaque purple-colored 2006 Ares is a 100% Shiraz cuvee sourced from Barossa (77%) and McLaren Vale (23%) which received some “200% new oak” treatment. Following a barrel selection of the winery’s best Shiraz (not all of which was in new oak), the wine spent its last 12 months of elevage in 100% new French barriques. It offers up a room-filling perfume of toasty oak, pencil lead, vanilla, pepper, sage, plum, and blueberry pie. Opulent and layered on the palate, this extracted, mouth-filling effort has tons of succulent fruit, savory flavors, and a very long, fruit-filled finish. It will reward 6-8 years of cellaring and have a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2031.
| ADS 0768 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| ADS 0769 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| ADS 0770 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
JH95 - Medium to full-bodied; very good balance and structure; a complex array of black and red fruits; positive oak and ripe tannins - MAGNUM
| JMO 0056 | 1 MAGNUM Slight label damage | Current Bid: $158 |
JH94 - Dark, deep purple-red; a concentrated, dense and powerful bouquet with brooding, dark fruits leads to a massively concentrated palate with a complex array of fruit flavours in the mint/blackberry/briar spectrum, finishing with persistent tannins. Notwithstanding all the power and concentration, is immaculately balanced.
| JMO 0125 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $106 | |
| JMO 0124 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 |
MASSIVE - JH94 - Medium to full purple-red; the bouquet has high-toned edges to the blackberry, earth and spice; the massive, mouthfilling blackberry/blackcurrant palate has all-pervasive tannins running through its length, yet is still in balance.
| ADS 0760 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 | |
| ADS 0761 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $115 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores - notes
| JMO 0227 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| JMO 0228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores - notes
| JMO 0181 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $81 | |
| JMO 0183 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
JH97 - An 80/20% blend, the colour impeccable; I have always enjoyed this wine, the two varieties providing an exercise in the synergy that blends can bring to the table. Without diminishing the structure or power of the wine, it has a juicy mouthfeel, not to mention a mouthful, of cassis and plum fruit, the tannins quite fine, drawing out the finish
| JMO 0164 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| JMO 0163 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
GOD GIVEN - JH96 - A 68/32% blend from the 1975 Central, 1920 Eastern and 1989 Western Vineyards. While the weight of the wine is still within the medium-bodied framework all four wines enjoy, the aromas and flavours are wonderfully juicy. For close on a century, the symbolic link between cabernet and malbec expresses itself in unique fashion in this God-given secluded corner of the Clare Valley.
| ADS 0794 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| ADS 0795 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| ADS 0796 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
WONDERFUL - JH98 - Deep, healthy crimson-purple; the Wendouree blends bring wonderful complexity to the table, but this wine in particular brings purity, its flood of cassis fruit on the bouquet and palate awesomely mouthwatering and drawn out, not trimmed back by the brambly, savoury tannins. If there is better tannin structure in an Australian cabernet, I am yet to see it.
| JMO 0113 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $116 | |
| JMO 0112 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $116 |
EPITOME - JH97 - Full purple-crimson hue. An elegant Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon, only 2yo? Oxymoron? Believe me, this is the epitome of elegance in cabernet terms, with a fluid line and mouthfeel, cassis and a hint of mint to the fore, fine-grained tannins as much on the aftertaste as the finish. A wine that progressively reveals its latent power as it is re-tasted again and again.
| JMO 0139 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $130 | |
| JMO 0138 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $106 |
LOVE - JH97 - 100% cabernet sauvignon from the 1920 and '75 plantings on the Eastern and Central Vineyards. The moment the wine is poured into the glass, the bright, deep colour tells you this wine will assert its authority in no uncertain fashion. Yet it does so by stealth, first revealing the cassis fruit and (in the best sense) mint. There is no bombardment by often autocratic cabernet tannins; just as was the case with the '13 vintage, it is elegant, dispensing tannins slyly. Three very different wines, and I love them all, so the points are the same.
| JMO 0158 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $110 | |
| JMO 0157 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $93 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores / notes to be found
| JMO 0208 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $70 | |
| JMO 0209 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $70 |
JH93 - Opaque purple-crimson, very slightly hazy; strong plum jam varietal expression on the bouquet; an unexpectedly fresh medium-bodied palate; very fine tannins. Stained corks in both 2006 Wendouree wines a worry.
| JMO 0148 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| JMO 0147 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0275 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $97 | |
| JMO 0276 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $110 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0150 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 | |
| JMO 0149 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 |
FLAWLESS - JH97 - 100% shiraz from Central Vineyard bushvines planted in 1893, and the Eastern Vineyard planted in 1919. The wine takes a lot of air via glass swirling to express itself, but ultimately does so emphatically. Plum, black cherry and spices paint the flavour picture, and expand prodigiously on the back-palate and finish. As the late Len Evans would have said, it has flawless line, length and balance.
| ADS 0791 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| ADS 0792 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 | |
| ADS 0793 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
FAINTLY - JH96 - Medium to full purple-red; the bouquet is similar to that of the Shiraz, but with slightly softer dark berry fruit blending into that faintly jammy character of Malbec. On the palate the rich, juicy Malbec contribution is quite evident, yet the predominant structure is provided by the Shiraz.
| JMO 0242 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| JMO 0243 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0190 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 | |
| JMO 0191 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 |
GREAT - JH96 - More purple than the Shiraz Mataro; consistently with the colour, has more drive and focus; the mouthfeel and length of the medium- to full-bodied palate are excellent, with almost juicy fruit sparking off the fine-grained tannins. Great now, great in another 15 years.
| 304 0014 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| 304 0015 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| 304 0020 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $60 | |
| 304 0021 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
FRAGRANT - JH97 - A 60/40% blend, the bouquet is very fragrant, with the plum-accented malbec contribution obvious (as it should be); the palate has multiple layers of flavour, with blackberry and black cherry ex the shiraz leading the way, complexed by notes of plum from the malbec, half-suggesting some fruitcake flavours.
| JMO 0175 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| JMO 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 |
FLYING - JH96 - A 50/50% blend from the 1919 and 1920 Eastern Vineyards. Excellent colour, as for all the '16 Wendourees. Bright, juicy plummy fruit with red berries also pushing forward; it's lithe and sinuous, flying the flag of elegance high in the sky. The differences are of style, not quality.
| ADS 0758 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 | |
| ADS 0759 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $84 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| ADS 0756 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ADS 0757 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
JH93 - Medium to full purple-red; the bouquet is stylish, with berry, earthy, mint and leaf aromas, the palate again showing some minty notes and an exceptionally long finish - supported, needless to say, by abundant tannins.
| JMO 0248 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0251 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0252 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| JMO 0253 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 |
JH94 - Slightly lighter colour than the Shiraz, but similar brilliant hue; the mataro/mourvedre tannins are evident, but not trenchantly so; nonetheless, needs 5-10 years to fully unfurl its sails.
| JMO 0120 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 | |
| JMO 0119 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $79 |
WUTHERING WEDOUREE - no scores/notes to be found
| JMO 0199 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| JMO 0200 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
GRACE IN THE CELLAR - JH96 - As with all Woodlands cabernets, once you get past the oak, the fruit is of the highest pedigree; rippling with layers of complexity and nuance. Their potential for grace in the cellar is proven. Raspberry, pomegranate, bitter cocoa, aniseed, salted tomato, Dutch licorice, sage and exotic spice hide within the savoury folds of flavour that forms the backbone of this wine. The oak envelopes it all now, but will emboss into the fruit over time.
| ACC 16616 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 | |
| ACC 16617 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 |
GUARANTEED - JH98 - This is a top-notch Riddoch cabernet. The colour is a given, as are the depth and purity of the varietal expression, but despite its moderate alcohol, it is full-bodied, and really should be left for 10 years, then enjoyed over the next 20-30 years, its future guaranteed by its screwcap.
| TUR 0935 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $101 |
SCINTILLATING - JH97 - 92/4/4% cabernet sauvignon/malbec/petit verdot. Fruit from Wilyabrup, Treeton and the Steven's Rd vineyard. Matured for 14 months in French oak (45% new). Sometimes, you gotta start at the end of a wine, rather than the front. Usually it is because the wine is so long, that the first flavours are long forgotten. Such is life, here. The tannins, which are laced like a fine silky web through the finish, capture the pure fruit on the mid palate and coax it through the mouth. Caught also, like fine droplets of dew in a spider's web, are pockets of spice which add pop and thrill to the overall. Another scintillating and pure cabernet release from the team at Xanadu.
| XWA 2201 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XWA 2200 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XWA 2189 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 |
FUTURE - JH96 - Not just vineyard specific, this is site-specific as the fruit comes off block 3 (a 0.6ha parcel), this vintage with 14% malbec. They are handsome companions, a bit like winemakers Glenn Goodall and Brendan Carr. Though the latter has moved on after 11 years at Xanadu, he did help make this wine. The inkiness of malbec and its dark cherry accents such a lovely foil to cabernet’s distinct flavour. This is enticing, partly because of its heady aromatics and varietal flavours à la Margaret River, but especially the tannins. They are fine, shapely and defined. The finish is long and the wine has a bright, long future.
| SRO 0683 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| SRO 0685 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| SRO 0686 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| SRO 0687 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| SRO 0688 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 |
BENCHMARK - JH98 - The Caley has quickly established itself as a benchmark for the classic cabernet/shiraz blend. In 2018, it's 80/20% Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon/ Barossa shiraz matured for 20 months in French barriques (38% new). The melding of both variety and region is compelling and captivating. Beautifully poised blackberry and blackcurrant lie sympatico with plum and dark cherry. Notes of cedar and tobacco with fine spices, gentle herbal tones, dried citrus blossom, pencil case and cinnamon. Picture-perfect fruit depth, powdery mineral framework and harmony in all aspects of its composition, leaving the impression of a wine at the top of its game and one destined for a long life in the cellar.
| ACC 16828 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $324 |
THRILLING - JH97 - For long an Australian icon, this has really lightened up its act. For the better. The sort of exotic perfume-lifted lilac floral-seldom seen across shiraz from such a warm zone. Pulpy and juicy in the mouth, rather than over-extracted and desiccated. A beautiful sash of oak, directing a cavalcade of clove, five spice and ample blue to dark fruit references along a skein of peppery acidity. Riveting complexity and the feeling of something far lighter than the ABV suggests. This is a thrilling wine. There are no two ways about it.
| ACC 16765 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 | |
| ACC 16766 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $124 |
LOVELY - JH96 - Since its first release in 1962, The Signature has been Yalumba's deep dive into the classic Australian blend from the Barossa and one that honors the people who have enhanced the traditions and culture of Yalumba. There is a resonance and depth to this release that I really like. Wonderfully pure and concentrated blackberry and plum fruits, layered with spice, dark chocolate, earth, cedar and oak nuance. Succulent and sinewy in the mouth, it flexes considerable muscle, yet remains purely fruited and approachable even at this stage of its evolution. Rich and balanced with fine, ripe tannin and plenty of energy for such depth of fruit. Lovely.
| ACC 17185 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 | |
| ACC 17186 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $99 |
CONFLUENCE - JH96 - Since its first release in 1962, the Yalumba Signature cabernet/shiraz blend has shown a fine pedigree of cellar-worthy wines, and it looks like that bloodline will continue with the 2019 release. Deep, bright crimson in the glass and densely packed with ripe blackberry, black cherry, plum and cassis fruit notes on a bed of fine spice, licorice, cedar, dark chocolate, vanillin oak and light almond blossom tones. There's a wonderful tannin structure here, fine, compact and sandy, lending perfect structure to the pure black fruits. Nothing heavy or overblown, everything in its place, the confluence of fruit/tannin/acidity on song. Pop some in your glass or the cellar. You choose.
| ACC 17432 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $124 | |
| ACC 17433 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $124 |
BEST - JH97 - This wine could easily be in the running for one of the best 2021 wines from the region. Deep in colour with stunning purity across the spectrum of blackberry, black cherry and dark plum fruits. Fragrant with citrus and almond blossom notes, aniseed, cedar, new leather, tobacco, panforte, bay leaf, wood spice and Christmas cake. Sporting a stunning fruit density and tension, it glides, thick with fine, billowing tannin, with a pitch-perfect cadence across the palate, lacy acidity playing its part in focusing the wine's intrinsic elements with aplomb. Pure, vital and beautifully composed. It's sure to be a classic.
| ACC 16914 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $54 | |
| ACC 17090 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $54 |
A CRIME TO SPIT - RP98 - The fruit for this 2019 High Sands Grenache is sourced from the highest plot on the estate, from old bush vines planted in 1946. This an incredibly complex wine that undulates and ripples across the tongue; it brings blood and ferrous, crushed quartz and pink peppercorns, poise and succulence, but never, ever heaviness. Weight: no. This has silken sway and lithe flow, but no heaviness. What an amazing wine that lingers and echoes through the finish. An emphatic, resounding, YES. In fact, I was almost done with this tasting note, and it occurred to me that there is also framboise, licorice, a hint of anise, salami and graphite through the finish. It's a crime to spit this out—so I won't.
| ACC 14748 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $145 |
A WINE OF DISTINCTION - JH98 - From the small block of shiraz planted in 1969 comes a wine of distinction, thanks to the constant fine tuning orchestrated by winemaker Sarah Crowe. Wafts of pepper, woodsy spices, iodine and florals end up mingling with the pure fruit flavours within. Ribbons of fine tannin grace the palate, as does gossamer-like acidity, holding everything perfectly in place and just allowing the finish to linger and impress even more.
| ACC 16032 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $179 | |
| ACC 16033 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $179 |
BRAVO - JH95 - Just 2 barrels. A labour of love. It is not easy to maintain varietal purity for viognier without it turning broad and oily. None of that here. It's almost delicate, with just a smidge of apricot and kernels. Infused with lemon, orange and woodsy spices, it's textural, but light as a feather across the palate. Bravo.
| ACC 16538 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| ACC 16539 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
PROFOUNDLY - JH97 - 66% cabernet sauvignon, 16% merlot, 15% malbec, 3% petit verdot, hand-picked and berry-sorted, the cabernet crushed, the other varieties whole-berry fermented in half-tonne open fermenters, hand-plunged twice-daily, some of the cabernet with extended post-ferment maceration, matured separately in French oak (40% new) for 15 months. Profoundly juicy and rich, yet kept under tight control by the web of ripe tannins, oak part of the structure and texture but not flavour per se. It is a wine that you can sit with for a prolonged examination and discussion, and still not cover all its characteristics or ask all the questions.
| TUR 0927 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $91 |
YEARNING & YERING - JH97 - Co-fermented with 3% viognier, aged in French barriques (35% new) for 18 months. Deep, full crimson-purple; as any winemaker co-fermenting shiraz and viognier will tell you, increments of 1% or 2% can make an immense difference - the trick is to support the shiraz, not compete with it. Thus here the powerful, resplendent black cherry and plum fruits have touches of pepper and spice as well as that of the near-unseen viognier. French oak and tannins are in their due place.
| ACC 13962 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 | |
| ACC 13963 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 | |
| ACC 13964 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
YEARNING & YERING - JH96 - There is slightly less than 2% co-fermented viognier, but it plays an important role in creating the highly fragrant and expressive bouquet. Yes, it's vintage-driven with a riot of red and purple fruits, but the perfect structure and balance goes way beyond normal wines.
| ACC 13965 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 | |
| ACC 13967 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $69 |
KALEIDOSOPEIC - RP97+ - The 2021 Le Sol is spicy and detailed. Where the 2020 is open-weave and attractive, the 2021 is tighter, more focused and less "available" for obsessive unpicking (as I am wont to do for you, here). There's raw cocoa, blueberry, finely ground black pepper, orange peel, musk stick, layers of blackberry, mulberry, blood, ferrous notes and a hint of pencil shaving. This is a tightly coiled wine, one that has much unfurling to do, both in the cellar over time and in the glass today. Kaleidoscopic, savory and complex, this is another exciting wine from Craggy Range across the superstar 2020 and 2021 vintages. The exciting thing about the Le Sol is that there is SO MUCH flavor, without weight or density. It is pure concentration, but it leaves an impression of levity and litheness. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| ACC 17492 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $119 | |
| ACC 17648 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17649 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| ACC 17650 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
LOVELY - RP95 - The 2023 Calvert Pinot Noir is abundantly berry driven on the nose, with ripe summer cherries, mulberry, forest floor, pomegranate molasses and peppercorns. In the mouth, the wine leads with firm tannins, which are laced with Szechuan peppercorns and sandalwood spice and brought into focus by acidity that skirts the edges of brisk but lands gently on juicy. This is a lovely wine, further compounding my affection for the wines of the 2023 vintage on the South Island. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| ACC 17540 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| ACC 17541 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| ACC 17542 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH97 - There's a sensual, heady aspect to the aromas on display this year. A little exotic soukiness to the spice profile with hints of dried rose petals, cold tea, meadow wildflowers, sandalwood, drying herbs, distant dried game meats and leaf litter and cocoa-powder suffusing through the ripe red and black cherry and dried raspberry/cranberry fruit tones. Wonderfully weighted and balanced just so with the purest of fruit profiles, a superfine, pillowy cloud of tannin and a bright mineral line. It makes for beautiful drinking now and there is plenty of space for cellaring complexity.
| MHA 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| MHA 0042 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| MHA 0057 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
CAVALCADE - RP97+ - The 2018 Coleraine is supple and silky. A cavalcade of red and brown notes tumbles forth across the palate, with pomegranate molasses, nutmeg, layers of cassis, bramble, mahogany and raspberry seed. The wine is incredibly fresh, and it's starting to offer notes of attractive development, albeit at a very slow pace. This 2018 today is the window into both youth and evolution; we can see where it started, in its fete of vibrant youth and energy, but we can also see where it is going, and both views offer pleasure. This is a superb wine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
| TUR 0907 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| TUR 0906 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| TUR 0905 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| JMO 0272 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| JMO 0273 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
BLACK HEART - RP97+ - The 2019 Coleraine was the first year in a string of great vintages, a trio, or a hat trick, if you will. The wine is brooding and textured, with a black heart of berry fruit wrapped by savory spice. It pulses with blackberry, mulberry, black cherry, cassis, brunette tobacco, coal dust, graphite, licorice, star anise and cracked fennel. It's sensational. I love the personality of this vintage. It's black, almost midnight, and extraterrestrial in its expanse, but the thing is, it just tastes so much like Hawke's Bay. It is capacious and spooling and unfurling too, long, excellent and totally on form. It's tempting to drink these in youth, but given how gracefully they unfold over time, I can confirm that your patience (if you have any) will be rewarded. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under cork.
| TUR 0904 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 | |
| TUR 0903 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
OUTRAGEOUS - RP97+ - The 2022 Coleraine is laden at this stage with the outrageous attractiveness of youth. I mean, it's irresistible. There's raspberry, nori, rose petals, coffee grounds, star anise, salted licorice, sun-dried kelp/nori, warm pine (I know this smell because I was hiking around the Te Mata peak yesterday, and there was a fallen pine tree lying in the sun, and it smelled great) and layers of peppercorns. In the mouth, the wine is so fresh, so alive, with so much energy, but it already is showing the svelte line of this house, this place. With a hint of raw cocoa laced through the finish, I'm sad to push this glass away. It will be the last time that I taste it for a while. A ripper. Excellent. This is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc.
LOVE - RP98 - The 2023 Coleraine comprises 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. This cuvée is not made to a recipe, rather as a selection of the best from each vintage. In 2023, due to the weather induced by Cyclone Gabrielle, which landed in early February (the second or third), the strongest performer was the Cabernet Sauvignon due to bunch architecture, small berries, thick skins and, in this case, the low-vigor rootstocks and the chicory in between the rows. Te Mata invests heavily into research and development in the vineyards, which really assists in a vintage like 2023, which imposes challenges. The elevation in all aspects of this wine from the already tremendously impressive Awatea is significant. Here, the tannins have a finer grain, the fruit is more persistent and the package is far more integrated and seamless. With raspberry, iodine, crushed shells, nori, pressed flowers, new lead pencil, tobacco, bramble and cassis, it is magnificent. Raw cocoa and the gentle and subtle creep of game/gristle/blood and sweet marrow indicate its direction later in life. I love this wine. I think I write that every time I taste it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
PERFECT SPECIMEN - Museum Release - Never Retailed - Lux Storage - Classic Old School Barolo - Recorked and New label when exported - 1980's? cant find records - Rare & Special
| CAT 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $560 |
PERFECT SPECIMEN - Museum Release - Never Retailed - Lux Storage - Classic Old School Barolo - Recorked and New label when exported - 1980's? cant find records - Rare & Special
| CAT 0015 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
ENORMITY - RP96 - Production was skipped over in 2007 due to extreme hail damage. The fruit that would normally be destined to Amarone went to the lower tier Valpolicella Superiore instead. The 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta marks a return to a slightly cooler vintage with a longer growing season slowed down during the summer's moderate temperatures. Indeed, harvest was wrapped up during the first days of November. The blend is mostly Corvina, at about 60%, with smaller parts Corvinone, Rondinella, Croatina and Oseleta. The new Dal Forno winery was finished in 2008, complete with the unique vacuum-sealed fermentation tasks that help to avoid any intrusive oxygen during winemaking. Indeed, this wine is balanced and elegant with fruit that is still crunchy and very much alive. The tannins are firm and nicely integrated into the wine's thick, fleshy consistency. This vintage is characterized by a very elegant and graceful approach, which must be taken into context given the enormity of a wine of this caliber. Happily, there is no doubt that this vintage should still evolve steadily over time.
| TUR 0850 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $720 |
SHY - RP95 - This was an excellent vintage in much of Italy, but unfortunately the weather was not as pleasant in this specific area of the Valpolicella. The season saw a lot of rain, and a good amount of fruit was cut and left on the ground because it could not be used. Considering these difficulties, Michele Dal Forno tells me he is "more than happy with the results." I tasted the 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta next to the 2009 vintage, and having these two wines side by side reinforces just how different they are. The 2010 vintages is sharper, more pointed and direct in comparison, and there is a tiny point of sourness on the close. This wine does not reach the same threshold for fullness, density or richness. It does come close. The wine's residual sugar measures between 5 and 6 grams per liter, which is normal for this wine, and the bouquet is redolent of familiar black fruit, raisin and spice. However, the wine feels a bit stuck in its tracks at the moment and is evidently experiencing a shy phase in its evolution. It has retreated.
| TUR 0851 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION - RP96 - A pure expression of Sangiovese, the 2018 Cepparello is a beautiful expression that speaks to the classic and most exemplary side of this versatile and deeply expressive grape. This vintage is especially bright and ethereal with a true sense of luminosity and clarity that radiates from both the wine's appearance and its fragrant bouquet. Tart cherry and cassis segue to balsam herb and wild violets. To the palate, the wine shows muscle and determination with sweet tannins and impressive depth of favor. Cepparello remains true to its unique identity in this vintage. Production is 42,000 bottles.
| ACC 17757 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $149 |
SUPPLE & SMOOTH - RP96 - Supple and smooth, the 2020 Cepparello brings Sangiovese to soaring heights in a manner only Paolo De Marchi can manage. This is his second to last vintage before he would retire and sell this historic estate. The wine opens to medium to full-bodied concentration with dark plum and redcurrant. Those cede to sweet spice, earth, crushed stone, rusty nail and candied orange peel. Give the wine more time to flesh out with cellar age. It registers a powerful 15% alcohol content.
BEAUTIFUL - RP97 - This is a beautiful wine that is only made in the best vintages. In fact, I have only ever tasted 2006 (a late release), 2010 and 2013 before this bottle. The Isole e Olena 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is 90% Sangiovese enhanced with tiny percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Production is limited to a mere 3,000 bottles that will not be released commercially until spring 2022. The wine is enormously bright and buoyant in this classic vintage with lingering fruit and cherry that remains intact and fresh even when tasted now some five years after the harvest. Hints of leather, tar and potting soil softly fill in the rear. This wine promises a long and healthy aging future ahead.
EXUBERANT RICHNESS - RP96 - Inky dark in appearance, the 2020 Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. This vintage unfolds to exuberant richness and thick layers of blackberry and plum. The tannins are sweet and expertly crafted, adding both depth and fruit weight. The 2020 vintage is quite bold, and it plays its best cards in terms of texture and mouthfeel. It’s a bigger, more accessible wine compared to the last two vintages on the market. Spice, toasted coffee bean and more dark fruit color this full-bodied Tuscan red
THE BIG TIG - Tignanello is too hot to handle - Thank Boris Johnson
| 303 0164 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $261 | |
| 303 0165 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $335 | |
| 303 0166 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $340 |
ETHEREAL - RP98 - The latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine's strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we've seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015.
| XNE 0767 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 0765 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 0766 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 |
VELVETY -RP96+ - The Tua Rita 2021 Redigaffi is a wine of thick character and dark extraction. This 100% expression of Merlot offers tension and extreme balance with very generous layers of dark cherry, plum, dried blackberry, spice and tobacco. It displays a spectacularly soft and velvety texture over a full-bodied approach. Redigaffi is often monolithic and monotone in its younger years, and it needs more bottle age to come into focus. This is very true for the 2021 vintage
| XNE 0782 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 0781 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 | |
| XNE 0768 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $614 |
ETHEREAL - RP99 - One of the high points of this vertical tasting, the 1989 d'Yquem is a magical wine offering up a complex, refined bouquet with aromas of quince, apricot, pineapple, menthol, flowers and white truffles, followed by a full-bodied, concentrated and seamless palate, pure and vibrant structure and lively acids, concluding with a long, perfumed, ethereal finish
| XNE 2527 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 | |
| XNE 2528 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 | |
| XNE 2529 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2449 |
PERFECTLY BALANCED - RP98+ - The 2005 d'Yquem continues to drink beautifully today, evoking aromas of honey, saffron, vanilla pod, apricot, jasmine and orange peel. Full-bodied, sensual and juicy, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a seamless texture and a perfectly balanced palate, finishing fruity and racy. Although still a little closed and in a rather discreet phase, it has magnificent aging potential, and readers with bottles in their cellars should leave them to mature for 10 to 20 years.
PRISTINE HARMONY - RP100 - In comparison to the 2010 vintage, the 2009 d'Yquem is more concentrated with a stunning "rôti," the consequence of noble rot in French. Developing a powerful, complex bouquet with aromas of pineapple, apricot, saffron, flowers, spices and orchard fruits, it’s dense and concentrated, full-bodied and layered with a crystalline texture complicated by notes of white truffles that reveal a racy, endless and a superb finish concluding with a pristine harmony. Readers with bottles in their cellars will have to be patient before opening this masterpiece with 155 grams of residual sugar.
| ACC 17192 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $629 |
PERFECTLY CONTROLLED - RP96 - The 2013 d'Yquem is open and demonstrative, evoking aromas of apricot, saffron, musk, spices and exotic fruits, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and deep palate paving the way to a perfectly controlled power. The finish is animated with bright acids and a sappy, fleshy texture typical of Yquem’s clay terroirs, and while it may stand in the shadow of its Bordeaux vintage red counterpart, whose reputation has been somewhat wanting, this Sauternes deserves of praise in its own right.
PRECISE - RP96 - With 135 grams of residual sugar, the 2016 d'Yquem has turned out brilliantly in bottle, exhibiting a precise, harmonic, deep bouquet with aromas of mango, lychee, jasmine, exotic fruits, dry apricot and menthol. It’s moderately weighted and tense with a layered yet concentrated texture and a long, vibrant finish. Racy, charming and attractively complete, it distinguishes itself from its peers with its bright acidity.
| XNE 0799 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $459 | |
| XNE 0792 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $459 | |
| XNE 0790 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $459 |
SIMPLY STUNNING - RP97 - The 2017 d'Yquem is simply stunning, evoking both a minty and fresh bouquet with aromas of apricot, baked pear, saffron, honeycomb and flowers. Full-bodied, rich and seamless, it’s perfectly balanced with a beautiful bittersweet mid-palate and a long, endless finish with aromas of crème brûlée, salted butter caramel and vanilla pod. This blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc contains 148 grams of residual sugar.
| XNE 0899 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 | |
| XNE 0897 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 |
BLOWS YOU AWAY - RP97 - A blend of 83% Semillon and 17% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2017 Rieussec is pale to medium lemon-gold colored. To begin, the nose blows you away with intense lemon tart, lime cordial, mango and quince notes followed by a second wave of floral, orange blossoms and honeysuckle scents, and then notes of crushed rocks, crème caramel and marzipan join the party. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still very tightly wound with concentrated sweetness and a racy backbone to match, delivering layer upon layer of citrus and savory flavors, finishing on a persistent mineral note.
SHOCKED AT THE QUALITY - RP97+ - I was shocked at the quality of the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin and I can’t think of another wine that comes close to this level of depth, concentration and richness in the vintage. Its inky color is followed by sensational notes of roasted herbs, licorice, caramelized meats and layers of black and blue fruits. Rich, full-bodied, thick and unctuous, hats off to the Perrin family for this incredible effort! Give bottles 4-6 years of cellaring and drink over the following two decades.
| XNE 0599 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0597 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0596 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 |
WOW - RP98 - As this was bottled only a week before I tasted it, I suspect this rating will prove to be conservative once a few months have passed. The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is another prodigious version of this wine. How many wines in this world can be so huge yet so lacking the feeling of weight? There's plenty of layered spice but also a core of raspberries; rich tannins, yet no real astringency; and a long finish without any apparent heat. Wow!
| XNE 1045 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 1043 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 1044 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 |
BREATHTAKING - RP100 - Marvelously complex, deeply fruited and massively concentrated yet wonderfully drinkable, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin challenges the number of superlatives that can be thrown at it. Scents of violets, tree bark, truffle, purple raspberries and blackberries all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, dense and velvety, and the finish shows enormous richness and length. Breathtaking stuff.
| XNE 0603 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0600 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0602 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 |
IMPECCABLE - RP96+ - More masculine, backwards and concentrated, the 2005 Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis is a full-bodied, structured effort that’s just barely starting to show some secondary nuances. Giving up notions of violet, asphalt, graphite, crushed rock, bacon fat and dried rose petal, it has impeccable balance, notable concentration and a big finish. It should hit prime time in another 2 to 3 years, and evolve gracefully through 2025.
| KEN 0796 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $156 | |
| KEN 0797 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $156 | |
| KEN 0798 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $156 |
MASSIVELY - RP98+ - Massively concentrated and tannic, Chapoutier's 2019 Ermitage le Pavillon looks as if it will take a few more years to come around than the other selections parcellaires. The initial scents of crushed stone and cassis are intriguing, but this full-bodied wine comes across almost cold and reserved yet immensely promising. On this occasion, Michel Chapoutier pronounced it "a tea of granite," which describes it fairly well, although hints of its future charms can be seen on the long, licorice-tinged and mouthwatering finish.
| XFW 0245 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $689 | |
| XFW 0246 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $689 | |
| XFW 0253 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $689 |
GREAT - RP100 - Crushed stone, mint, blackberries and cassis all appear upon the nose of the 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon. The great vintages of these wines soak up the oak, like this one has. Full-bodied, concentrated and massive in scale, it's a mouthful of dark fruit flavors that gradually morph into something more savory on the long, silky-firm finish, adding notes of black olives and espresso. It's really impressive, as it maintains a sense of elegance all along its path.
| XFW 0289 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 | |
| XFW 0533 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 | |
| XFW 0537 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $674 |
WINESEARCHER - 92/100 - 7 CRITIC REVIEWS
| 136 0021 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar & Museum Release | Current Bid: $1472 |
BREATHTAKING - RP95+ - The 2009 Chambertin is breathtaking in its beauty. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and richness in its eternal, endless layers of fruit. This is a totally seamless wine that captures the style of the year and the personality of the vineyard. A sweet note of cassis lingers on the finessed finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.
| 136 0020 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar & Museum Release | Current Bid: $5520 |
PATIENCE - RP92 - The 2009 Clos St. Jacques is a rich, deeply pitched wine built on a serious core of dark red fruit, menthol, spices and licorice. Readers won’t find much of the early appeal of 2009 here, rather this is a wine built for the cellar. Layers of flavor build to a huge finish supported by considerable tannin. This intense, powerful wine is going to require quite a bit of patience. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
| PLU 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $1196 |
THE REAL DEAL - Domaine Jacques Prieur is a relatively large Burgundy producer that makes both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from esteemed vineyard holdings across the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.The history of the domaine began in the 1860s, with the marriage of Claude Duvergey and Marie Taboureau. They first established the wine and spirits merchant business, Duvergey-Taboureau House, before buying property in Meursault – now the site of the modern Jacques Priuer domaine.Beginning in the late 1800s and continuing into the 20th Century, the family began investing in viticulture and purchasing vineyards, establishing vines in what have become some of the most sought after appellations in the Côte d'Or.The great nephew of Marie Taboureau, Jacques Prieur, inherited the estate holdings, running the domaine with his mother. He was one of the founding members of the revival of the regional winemaking brotherhood, the Conférie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, in 1934 and, in 1956, finally lent his name to the domaine.In the 1980s several local families bought into the estate, as it was experiencing a period of decline, and the Labruyère family became the majority shareholders. The Labruyère family owns around 70 percent of the estate, with the remainder taken by the Prieurs themselves.Domaine Jacques Prieur now has 21 hectares (52 acres) of vineyards including in nine grand crus, and 14 premier crus – among them are three walled monopoles. The best-known parcels of Jacques Prieur are also some of the most famous in Burgundy: Chambertin, Musigny, Clos Vougeot, Corton-Charlemagne and Montrachet. https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/26879-domaine-jacques-prieur
| GAV 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $960 |
THE REAL LUXURY DEAL - $25K a bottle?
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dom+leflaive+montrachet+grand+cru+le+puligny+cote+de+beaune+burgundy+france/1997
| GAV 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1440 |
THE REAL DEAL - LEROY - The Biggest name in Burgundy bigger than DRC
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/leroy+meursault+cote+de+beaune+burgundy+france/2013
| GAV 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $800 |
SUPERBLY - RP97 - The 2020 Angélus has turned out superbly and underlines this estate's continuing shift to a more elegant, integrated style that offers a purer expression of its terroir. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, it unwinds in the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, rose petals, mint and subtle hints of licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, beautifully layered and vibrant palate that's deep, precise and penetrating, concluding with a mouthwateringly chalky finish. Some 120 hectoliters of Cabernet Franc, amounting to around 20% of the blend, were matured in foudre this year, which no doubt helps to account for the significantly reduced oak impact in the 2020.
| XNE 2392 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 | |
| XNE 2391 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 | |
| XNE 2393 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $874 |
BEHEMOTH - RP96+ - Deep purple-black, the 2016 Bellevue Mondotte has a dark, seductive, opulent nose of star anise, cumin seed, dried roses, incense and cedar chest over a core of plum preserves, baked blueberries, dates and Christmas cake plus hints of unsmoked cigars and tapenade. The full-bodied palate is a behemoth of fruit with a rock-solid frame to match, featuring firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.
| TUR 1002 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $180 |
TUMBLES - RP97+ - A blend of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Canon has a pH of 3.69 and 14% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it tumbles effortlessly out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of candied violets, preserved plums, black cherry compote and Ceylon tea with hints of kirsch, powdered cinnamon, chocolate box and fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with juicy black fruit layers, supported by plush, oh-so-soft tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
| TUR 0992 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 |
IMPRESSIVE - RP98+ - The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond.
| XSA 2050 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $519 | |
| XSA 2051 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $519 |
BRILLIANTLY - RP97 - The 2019 Cos d'Estournel has turned out brilliantly, exhibiting aromas of minty cassis, sweet wild berries and wild plums mingled with hints of spices, loamy soil and potpourri. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it's polished and seamless, its ample chassis of fine, velvety tannin entirely concealed in its deep core of succulent, crunchy fruit. Beautifully integrated at this early stage, the last decade has witnessed a number of changes at this address, including a trend toward less aggressively late picking, cooler fermentations and élevage with fewer rackings and more moderate percentages of less heavily toasted new oak: in 2019, the results speak for themselves.
| XNE 0785 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XNE 0784 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 | |
| XNE 0783 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $499 |
BEGUILING - RP100 - The 2009 Cuvee Madame, composed of 100% Sémillon, is pale lemon-gold in color with a beguiling fragrance of peach blossoms, mandarin peel, jasmine and allspice with core of pineapple, lemon pie, peach preserves and ginger plus a waft of musk perfume. Very big, powerful and seductive with decadent richness and loads of spice and floral layers accenting the ripe stone fruit flavors, it finishes with epic persistence.
| XNE 2522 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 | |
| XNE 2523 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 | |
| XNE 2521 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $599 |
HANDSOMELY - RP97+ - Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Haut-Bailly offers up a tantalizingly savory nose of smoked meats, chargrill, tapenade, unsmoked cigars and black truffles with a core of black currants, black cherries and wild blueberries plus wafts of iron ore and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and yet wonderfully plush with a powerful core of fruit—this vintage is truly an iron fist in a velvet glove. The finish goes on and on with persistent earthy/minerally notes and savory/sweet fruit. Although it is tempting and indeed delicious right now, the wine still possesses many restrained layers and should handsomely reward the patient.
| TUR 0990 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
WILL DELIGHT - RP97 - The 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists.
| XNE 2420 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1179 | |
| XNE 2419 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1179 | |
| XNE 2418 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1179 |
SHIMMERS - RP99 - The 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.5% Merlot, 42.9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it emerges from the glass with a first wave of stewed black and red plums, mulberries and black raspberries scents, followed by pronounced notions of warm cassis, clove oil, violets and chocolate box, with hints of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and forest floor coming through after a few minutes. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with energy, delivering layers of red and black fruits with earthy and mineral sparks and a texture so satiny you need to remember to look for it, finishing with amazing vibrancy. This is so wonderfully evocative and singular, and yet it feels like its holding something back. It makes for an impressive glass right now, but give it a good 5 years in bottle to allow further nuances to emerge and expect it to seriously reward those who can wait a good 12-15 years, when it should really hit its stride.
| TUR 0987 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $520 |
LATE BLOOMER - RP95 - The 2004 Lafite-Rothschild appears to be another late-bloomer in the sense that this 12-year-old bottle is the best I have tasted, implying an upward swing in quality. It has a wondrous bouquet, very sensual and pure with blackberry, graphite and cedar - all the hallmarks of Pauillac, delivered with great panache. It is more opulent than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, pitch-perfect acidity and a beautiful structure. There is a regal sense to this Lafite, understated compared to the other First Growths and yet the persistence on the finish deserves a round of applause, especially in the context of the vintage. This is superb and could possibly turn out to be the pick of the Firsts. Tasted September 2016.
| ERI 0027 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $1200 | |
| ERI 0026 | 1 BOTTLE Stained rear label | Current Bid: $1200 |
INTENSE NOTES - RP95 - The 1995 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Medium garnet colored with a touch of brick, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock the intense notes of baked plums, dried mulberries and boysenberry preserves with hints of black truffles, Chinese five spice, unsmoked cigars and dusty soil, plus wafts of beef drippings and cast-iron pan. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers good weight and generous fruit, supported by plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with loads of earth, sautéed herbs and mineral-inspired flavors.
| 106 0957 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
CAPABLE - RP92 - Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Chateau Margaux was just missing a little intensity on the nose compared to the other First Growths: scents of incense and iris, blackberry and tobacco, perhaps just missing the floral nature of other vintages. The palate is well balanced with supple black fruit laced with graphite and tobacco, fully matured but clearly with sufficient substance to last another 15-20 years. It is a capable Château Margaux, although frankly it does not put enough distance between itself and its Margaux peers, yapping at its heels. Tasted February 2017.
| ERI 0024 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $880 |
WONDERFULLY - RP98 - The 2009 Château Margaux is deep garnet in color and features wonderfully fragrant minted cassis, lilacs, Black Forest cake and oolong tea scents with touches of pencil shavings and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy frame with lovely freshness lifting the perfumed fruit to a very long, mineral-laced finish.
| ERI 0025 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $2000 |
ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL - RP99 - The 2015 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Medium garnet-purple colored, the nose features oh-so-seductive notes of warm blackberries, cassis and black forest cake with touches of forest floor, sandalwood, anise and cigar boxes plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers taut, muscular, densely packed black fruits and exotic spice flavor layers supported by a very firm backbone of grainy tannins with oodles of freshness and a long, savory finish. It is tightly knit and a little reticent at this very youthful stage; afford it at least 15 years in the cellar, and it will open out into a classic Chateau Margaux of incredible proportions. Readers may be interested to know that this wine is beautifully packaged in a special commemorative bottle honoring winemaker Paul Pontellier, who passed away in 2016. The gold-etched black bottle bears the message, “Hommage à Paul Pontellier” at the bottom. This 2015 is an achingly beautiful swan song from an incredibly gifted winemaker, taken from us too soon. In my view, this alone makes this vintage more than worth the investment for the many lovers of history in a bottle.
| XNE 0933 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $3824 |
CLASSIC - RP100 - The 2018 Château Margaux is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, representing 36% of the crop this year. The wine has a pH of 3.8 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing scents of crème de cassis, wild blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of redcurrant jelly, rose oil, dark chocolate and cedar chest plus a touch of star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit, fragrant earth and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid structure of exquisitely ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless backbone of freshness, finishing with fantastic length. This is classic Margaux at its most seductive, although it is, rather amazingly, approachable and absolutely delicious right now. But, to enjoy its full glory, you will want to cellar it for at least 6-8 years and then watch it metamorphize over the next 40+ years.
| TUR 0986 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1200 |
CLASSIC - RP95 - The 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it's a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a classic that will richly reward bottle age
| XNE 2468 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 | |
| XNE 2469 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 | |
| XNE 2470 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1199 |
SURPASS - RP98 - The 2005 Montrose continues to show brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of blackcurrant, red fruits, loamy soil, black truffles and cigar ash. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's still brooding and tannic, with lively acids and an imposing chassis of structuring—and artery-cleansing—extract. Still an adolescent, it's one of the last unrepentantly old-school vintages of Montrose, and Médoc purists couldn't own enough. While this remains a very youthful wine, it is now apparent that the 2005 will, at maturity, surpass the 1989 and 1990.
| PLU 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $322 |
MONSTER - RP95 - A hulking monster of power and extraction, the 2018 Montrose offers up rich aromas of mulberries, cherries, dark chocolate and violets. Full-bodied, broad and ample, with a textural attack that segues into a sweet core of fruit framed by ripe but chewy tannins, it's a muscular, dense Montrose with structure to burn, concluding with a lingering, floral finish. While its over 14.5% alcohol is impressively well integrated, Médoc purists will want to gravitate toward the 2016 rather than the 2018.
| TUR 0988 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
Magificient MOUTON ROTHSCHILD - 2014 Art offer with David Hockney gracing the label - RP95 - The 2014 Mouton-Rothschild was closed at first when I tasted the wine in bottle with winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. But as it transpires, this First Growth is just toying with you. Initially quite understated, it responds to aeration like a young child peeking from around a corner and then running out, waving its hands. It suddenly hits you with gorgeous black cherries, bilberry, cedar and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry. This is utterly seductive: a wine without a hair out of place. It is not as powerful or as complex as the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild, yet the precision and focus here is beguiling. It will require five to seven years to absorb the 100% new oak, then it will be an utterly delicious and to use a term employed at en primeur, "cerebral" First Growth that is destined to give two or three decades of pleasure.
| DCH 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $922 |
BEAUTIFULLY - RP95+ - The 2021 Palmer has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with expressive aromas of blackberries, cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of iris, dark chocolate and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of succulent fruit framed by rich, sweet tannins, it concludes with a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.
| XNE 2471 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 | |
| XNE 2472 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 | |
| XNE 2473 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $694 |
EPIC - RP98 - In 2015, the blend is 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine was matured 80% in new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pavie is still sporting a bit of its oak to begin, giving way to a glorious nose of crushed black cherries, blackberries and mulberries plus hints of dried roses, stewed tea, unsmoked cigars and garrigue. The rich, concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins and a racy line of freshness cutting through the dense layers of perfumed black fruits and savory notions, finishing with epic length.
| TUR 0985 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $540 |
RP89 - The 2005 Pichon Lalande, with its aromatics of cassis, forest floor and earth are followed by a medium-bodied wine that doesn’t have quite the length and richness the aromatics suggest. Nevertheless, it is medium-bodied, elegant, and pure, and a classic example for this château. Drink it now as well as over the next 15 or so years. It is showing better than my earlier notes suggest.
| EIO 0238 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $260 |
IMMORTAL - RP100 - One of the greatest wines that this estate has produced in the modern era, the 2016 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a brilliant classic that no Bordeaux lover is going to want to do without. Mingling aromas of cassis and plums with notions of licorice, sweet tobacco leaf, rich soil tones, licorice, cigar smoke and violets, it's full-bodied, seamless and complete, with huge concentration, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Standing out for its unerring precision, impeccable balance and ineffable sense of completeness, it should prove almost immortal.
| XNE 2358 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 | |
| XNE 2357 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 | |
| XNE 2356 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $799 |
INCREDIBLE - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pontet-Canet comes charging out of the glass with fantastically expressive notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus touches of kirsch, wilted roses, tobacco, camphor and cinnamon stick with a waft of fragrant soil. Full bodied, the palate is laden with black and red fruit layers, supported by very firm, very finely grained tannins and provocative freshness, finishing with incredible length and stunningly perfumed.
| TUR 0982 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 | |
| TUR 0983 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 |
LONG - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Rauzan-Ségla offers up an expressive nose of baked blackberries, kirsch, warm cassis and baked plums with hints of cigar box and tilled soil. Full-bodied, rich and expansive in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of bold red and black fruit preserves with earthy accents and a velvety texture, finishing long and lively.
| XNE 1001 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 | |
| XNE 0999 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 | |
| XNE 1000 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $284 |
EFORTLESSLY - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Rauzan-Ségla drifts effortlessly from the glass with fragrant rose hip tea, candied violets and chocolate box scents over a core of fresh blackcurrants and black cherry compote plus wafts of tobacco and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers a great mid-palate of softly textured black and blue fruits with loads of floral nuances and a refreshing lift on the finish.
| XNE 0998 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XNE 0996 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XNE 0995 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT - RP98+ The 2018 Rauzan-Ségla is composed of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The wine has 14% alcohol, and it was aged for around 18 months in barriques, 65% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with powerful, energetic scents of crushed black cherries, blackcurrant cordial and mulberries, plus suggestions of violets, star anise, chocolate mint and crushed rocks with a touch of tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam-packed with taut, muscular black fruit layers, supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with fantastic length and loads of earthy sparks. This is a thoroughbred Margaux, for sure, possessing amazing power in a very sleek, sophisticated package. Give it 5-7 years in bottle to unlock all those earth, floral and mineral nuances and drink it over the next 40 years or more. An incredible achievement that adeptly sidesteps the potentially overwhelming stamps of this extreme vintage. Bravo to Technical Director Nicolas Audebert and the team at Rauzan-Ségla!
| XNE 0994 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 | |
| XNE 0993 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 | |
| XNE 0992 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $354 |
VIBRANCY - RP87-89 - A fruity style of wine, the medium-bodied 2001 Petit Cheval (15,000 bottles), was made from 40% Cabernet Franc and 60% Merlot. It does not possess the weight of its bigger sibling, but there is admirable perfume, good vibrancy to the cool climate characteristics, and excellent definition. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.
| BRA 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 |
The Hill of Grace Market