| Australian | 3379 |
| Italian | 1410 |
| Imported | 816 |
| Burgundy | 635 |
| Champagne | 419 |
| Bordeaux | 354 |
| New Zealand | 342 |
| Rhone | 314 |
| Sauternes / Barsac | 240 |
| Chablis | 160 |
| France | 149 |
| Whisky | 117 |
| Port | 87 |
| Spirits | 81 |
| Total Lots: | 8503 |
| SHIRVINGTON | 2002 |
| XANADU Reserve | 2011 |
| COLDSTREAM HILLS Reserve | 1990 |
| GRALYN | 1999 |
| ALVEAR Solera 1830 | NV |
| DEEP WOODS Reserve | 2016 |
| DEEP WOODS Reserve | 2016 |
| DEEP WOODS Reserve | 2016 |
| DEEP WOODS Reserve | 2016 |
| PENFOLDS Grange | 2008 |
| PENFOLDS Grange |
| HENSCHKE Hill of Grace |
NEVER ENDING - RP97 - The oldest and most concentrated sweet wine from Alvear is the NV Pedro Ximénez Solera 1830, a wine that cannot change despite this new bottling from January 2017, as it's so old, concentrated and sweet (480 grams of sugar per liter) that we wouldn't feel its evolution over our lifetime. I've tasted and described this wine before and it's as good, old and powerful as I remember it. The notes I mentioned before, noble woods, espresso coffee, vanilla and coconut are still there and so is the complex, velvety and fine palate, with a luscious and never-ending finish. Unfortunately what is changing with this wine is availability and price. 318 half bottles were produced. The price provided is for a half bottle.
| 106 0953 | 1 500ML BOTTLE | Current Bid: $97 |
AMAZINGLY UNCTUOUS - RP98 - The NV Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 is non-vintage, but does have some 1927 material in it. This is totally dark brown/amber with notes of figs, toffee, caramel syrup, molasses and coffee. It is dense, super sweet, intense, rich and an amazingly, unctuously textured, thick beverage to consume slowly and introspectively after a meal. Drink now through 2050, or even longer.
| 106 0945 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $48 | |
| 106 0946 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $42 |
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 1733 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 1731 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $914 | |
| XNE 1732 | 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 1734 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 1735 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $834 | |
| XNE 1736 | 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 1737 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 1738 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 | |
| XNE 1739 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $759 |
ONE OF THE FINEST - RP97+ - Disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is one of the finest wines I've tasted from Billecart in recent years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, mandarin oil, warm bread, red berries and petals, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with lovely mid-palate amplitude, terrific concentration and bright girdling acids. In what is quite a tightly wound vintage and from a house whose style is rather understated, this is a dramatic, fleshy wine that concludes with a long, flavorful finish.
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.
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: $318 | |
| ACC 15506 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $318 | |
| ACC 15507 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $318 | |
| ACC 15508 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $318 | |
| ACC 15509 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $318 |
BRILLIANT - RP98+ When I was tasting Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I was trying to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut R. D. would be, as the style of the vintage seems almost perfectly adapted to this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it's more reserved out of the gates than the dramatic Grande Année was on release, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle hints of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit that's animated by racy acids and a refined pinpoint mousse, concluding with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it's the finest R. D. of the decade and one that will richly reward a bit of additional age on cork. In style, the most obvious comparison is with the 1996, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious on release. These bottles were disgorged late last year with three grams per liter dosage.
BRILLIANT CHAMPAGNE - RP96 - The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window. This bottle was disgorged in June 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage.
| ACC 15686 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $401 | |
| ACC 15689 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $401 | |
| ACC 15690 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $401 | |
| ACC 15691 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $401 |
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.
CLASSICALLY BALANCED - RP95 - The 2007 Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne continues to show very well, and it hasn't evolved appreciably since I last tasted it a few months ago. Revealing a pretty bouquet of lemon oil, lily pollen, dried white flowers, blanched almonds and crushed chalk, it's medium to full-bodied, chiseled and tensile, with excellent depth at the core, racy acids and a pure, precise and notably chalky finish. Tight-knit without being austere, it's a very classically balanced middleweight Comtes that has a long future ahead of it.
| ADR 0005 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $213 | |
| ADR 0006 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $213 |
HARD TO WAIT - JH96 - Vivid youthful hue; the bouquet shows elements of fresh blackberry, violets, ironstone minerality and fragrant toasty oak; medium-bodied and full of vibrant fruit, its outstanding character is the seamless and silky texture that unravels at a stately pace to reveal the wine within; patience will be rewarded, but it will be hard to wait, as it is delicious now.
| 106 0883 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
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 | Current Bid: $160 | |
| 106 0882 | 1 BOTTLE | 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: $289 | |
| ACC 12313 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $289 |
LOVELY WINE - JH94 - Rich, gently savoury blackcurrant, earth and dark chocolate; medium to full-bodied; excellent tannin structure, good oak. No brett; lovely wine. High quality cork.
| HKW 3785 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $76 | |
| HKW 3786 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $76 |
RARE & PRICELESS RELIC - A token from Margaret River's dawn of wine - Deserves to be admired and left intact - Drink? 60 / 40 chance it wil be well past best and not enjoyable
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 |
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.
| XWA 0778 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
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.
| XWA 1251 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 |
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.
| PHI 0048 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $264 | |
| PHI 0049 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $264 |
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 1485 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 1526 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $339 | |
| XWA 1256 | 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 1545 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1549 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 | |
| XWA 1551 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $314 |
POISE CLARITY DELICACY - RP98 - If you could drink this 2018 Astralis Syrah all day, by god you would. I mean, I would. The oak feels imperceptible, which I discover is adapted depending on the concentration of the year. This 2018 was matured in 40% new oak, and you wouldn’t know it. The tannins are chewy and pliable, and the fruit that resides within it is striking. A wine of Poise. Clarity. Delicacy.
| XWA 1574 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $429 |
VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS - SPRING - JH96 - Fragrant and aromatic; a picture of medium-bodied, silky, satin elegance; if you want a musical analogy, think of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Spring. More prosaically, is very different to the 06, even allowing for the time in bottle, with more finesse and less power.
| EIL 0746 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 | |
| EIL 0747 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 | |
| EIL 0748 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $103 |
MASTERLY WINEMAKING - JH97 - Vivid colour; it is hard to imagine how more flavour could be generated at this alcohol, even if it is only 1 tonne to the acre; a perfumed bouquet and an Arabian night of dark berry flavours; the tannins show masterly winemaking at work; only 150 dozen made
| LJK 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $142 | |
| LJK 0002 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $142 | |
| LJK 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $142 |
PEACOCKS TAIL - 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.
| LJK 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $65 |
WONDERFUL - JH97 - Deeply coloured; the bouquet is almost backward and is slow to reveal the intricate layers of black fruits that lie therein; time reveals succulent black fruits, minerals, fine spices and a touch of fresh garden herbs; the palate delivers a wonderful mixture of opulent fruit, savoury complexity, and silky fine tannins that persist for an incredibly long time; only at the very end do you get a glimpse of the fine oak in use; certain to be long-lived.
| 106 0884 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| 106 0885 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| 106 0886 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
HIGHLY FRAGRANT - 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.
| ADS 0651 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
PERFUMED BOUQUET - JH96 - Transparently clear purple-crimson; the perfumed bouquet of predominantly red fruits leads into a superfine palate with some darker fruit nuances; it is only on the finish and aftertaste that the quality of the wine fully expresses itself. Has gained a dimension of intensity/focus/length since first tasted in March
| LJK 0010 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $60 | |
| LJK 0011 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $59 | |
| LJK 0012 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $59 |
TRIUMPH - JH97 - Has the best colour of the '12 Clonakilla red wines, hardly a surprise; the bouquet is supremely fragrant, almost flowery/scented, the palate instantaneously imprinting its total harmony and balance; fruit, oak and tannins are all seamlessly interwoven, the length prodigious. Low yields were the secret.
| LJK 0013 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $71 | |
| LJK 0014 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| LJK 0015 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $71 |
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.
| HKW 3757 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| HKW 3869 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
ALL ONE COULD WISH FOR - 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.
INTRIGUING RENDITION - JH95 - Somewhat atypical with lots of upfront acidity and pomegranate tang throughout. There are red and blue fruits in the mix and wafts of warm earth and oak spice. Plus, plenty of fresh herbs and menthol, the latter imparting a cooling sensation. It’s tightly coiled, stony and firm, yet the palate is more medium bodied with supple, fine tannins. An intriguing rendition that’s enjoyable, nonetheless.
| HKW 3758 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
PRODIGAL SON - Extravagance since forgotten - Time to return home for the recokoning and commendation? The ducks line up!- Reserve - Fab vintage - The A team could do - From a good home
| GOG 0094 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $40 | |
| GOG 0095 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $40 |
CLASS - JH96 - Its sheer class shines through the trappings of extreme youth, a controlled explosion of blackcurrant, spice and blackberry, ripe tannins and French oak.
| SRO 0071 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $107 | |
| SRO 0072 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $133 |
CLEAN BUT COMPLEX - JH94 - Spotlessly clean but complex blackcurrant/blackberry and briar fruit; long palate strengthened and lengthened by tannins on the finish. Fruit, not oak, driven
| STO 0202 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
LIGHTER - JH94 - Bright hue, although not particularly deep; lighter fruit style than usual, albeit with normal tannin structure; needs three years before entering its plateau. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot/Cabernet Franc/Malbec.
| SRO 0074 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $92 |
AWESOME - JH98 - A bright crimson 73/20/7% blend of cabernet, merlot and franc, aged for an average of 17 months in French barriques (60% new). This was Cullen's greatest wine until the arrival of the Vanya Cabernet, and remains one of Australia's greatest cabernet blends, the only real competition coming from other Margaret River blends. The bouquet is perfumed, the palate fluid and graceful, notwithstanding the intensity of its cassis et al fruits which give the wine its awesome length, fine tannins its balance.
| SRO 0075 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 | |
| SRO 0076 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 |
GREAT WINE - JH98 - 89% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 3% merlot and 2% each of malbec and cabernet franc blended after fermentation, hand-picked and sorted, destemmed (66% whole berries), wild-fermented in stainless steel, average 23 days on skins, matured in French oak (69% new) for 18 months. Right in the slot of the style established (with some polishing and refining) over the years. The complexity of the texture and structure is second to none, led by the born to rule cabernet. The might of the tannins is the key to this great wine.
| PHI 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| PHI 0041 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| PHI 0042 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| PHI 0043 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| PHI 0044 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 | |
| PHI 0045 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $129 |
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.
| XBW 3248 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $356 | |
| XBW 3255 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $356 | |
| XBW 3264 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $356 |
GOSH - WHAT A WINE - 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 16608 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $134 |
BEAUTIFUL OLD VINE WINE - The 2022 Diana Madeline is a culmination of over 50 years of dedication effort and respect for the land to make the best quality wine. The vintage was perfect for elegant cabernet sauvignon, with warm conditions early and then cooler conditions making it an epic vintage with reds ripening earlier than usual. Hand harvested over 5 biodynamic calendar days from 12th March to 16th March, three flower days and culminating on a full Moon fruit day when Venus and Saturn were in conjunction.
An average of 30 days on skins. The wine spent 14 months in 55% new oak. In a mixture of biodynamic barriques and puncheons. The final blend comprises 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec.The Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1971, Merlot 1976, Cabernet Franc 1976 and Malbec in 1978… beautiful old vine wine. Cullen Website
KEVIN HEAVEN - 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.
| ACC 15908 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $154 | |
| ACC 15909 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $154 |
PERFECTLY INTEGRATED - JH97 - Has an altogether impressive display of purity and power in its varietal expression, managing to retain a medium-bodied elegant, yet brooking no question about its flavour of structure. Blackcurrant fruit is etched in fine detail from the start to the finish of the palate, tannins and oak finely balanced and perfectly integrated.
| 106 0901 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| 106 0902 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| 106 0903 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 |
ELEGANCE & PURITY -JH97 - Elegance and purity personified. The varietal expression is pitch perfect, cassis standing proud, its handmaidens fine-grained tannins and cedary French oak. It is an effortless wine, no more than medium-bodied, and needs no further elaboration. Shades of Xanadu.
| 106 0906 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| 106 0907 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 | |
| 106 0908 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $75 |
BEAUTIFUL - JH99 - Matured for 18 months in new and used French oak. Excellent colour; the wine has a fragrant dark berry bouquet, the palate sheer perfection. So well balanced it seems suspended in the air, cassis fruit supported by feather-light tannins, oak an absorbed spectator. This is a beautiful wine.
| 106 0911 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| 106 0912 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $60 | |
| 106 0913 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $62 | |
| 106 0914 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 |
BEST CHARDONNAY - JH97 - The freshness and intensity of the palate led to the trophy for Best Chardonnay at the Sydney Wine Show 2017. Winemaker Cliff Royle picked the amount of new oak, and the time the wine spent in oak, to perfection, placing maximum focus on the perfectly ripe flavours.
| LAR 0029 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $35 | |
| LAR 0030 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $32 |
PROFOUND - 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.
OFF THE CHARTS - JH97 - We must all follow different houses for their different styles. Here, Fraser Gallop's chardonnay style is on show: lower alcohol, pristine, crystalline fruit, shaped by fine saline acid and curving in a quartz-like, delicate manner through the finish. This 2020 Palladian is the best, finest, most magical, most alluring Palladian release I have ever tried. It is off the charts.
| ACC 16842 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 | |
| ACC 16958 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $94 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0061 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $600 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0062 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $600 |
NEW WORLD ORDER - JUDGEMENT OF GIACONDA - Magnum Mayhem - Incredible opportunity, Priced to find the worthy
| LEE 0064 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $600 |
LUCIOUS, INTRIGUING, STYLISH - JH97 - Hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch crushed, basket pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new), mlf, matured 20 months in an underground cave. The secret – if there is one – to Giaconda chardonnay is the depth of complexity achieved. It is a thing of wonder to get lost in, as you wander through layer upon layer of stone fruits, citrus and grilled nuts, almond cream, spice and then gently embedded oak. Luscious. Intriguing. Stylish.
| LEE 0067 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $600 | |
| LEE 0068 | 1 MAGNUM BOXED | Current Bid: $600 |
GORGOUS, ELEGANT, PRECISE, MAGNIFICIENT - RP98 - The 2022 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay follows hot on the heels of the perfect 2021 release, and in doing so, it has big boots to fill. Aromatically, the wine leads, as all Giaconda Chardonnay's do, with white flowers and notions of campfire and charred gum leaves, cracked white peppercorns and white peach, salt and caper brine. Crushed and salted nuts, enoki mushroom, shaved fennel, torched pink grapefruit ... the cavalcade of flavors march on across the palate. In this season, the wine is altogether more quietly nuanced and placid than the sleek, powerfully focused 2021 vintage. However, in so saying, this wine is balanced and fine, somewhat less overtly reductive (although still imbued with that salivating characteristic), populated by softer-spoken fruit and yet no less sapid or palate staining. It is in the mouth that the pedigree of the wine comes to the fore. The chalky texture and the penetrating intensity of flavor in combination are what make this wine so great, as I see it, and the 2022 vintage provides a gentle framework within which the wine exists. This is a gorgeous, elegant, precise and detailed release of this magnificent wine. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
EXQUISITE FINESSE - JH97 - From Lou Primavera's 2001-planted vineyard at Woori Yallock; 25% whole bunches on the clone 115 component, while clones MV6 and G were destemmed. Matured in French barriques (25% new). Wonderfully perfumed and vibrant with its aromas of cranberries, wild strawberries, a little Sichuan pepper, fresh citrus oil and musk roses at dusk. A wine of exquisite finesse and excellent depth, the tannins are very fine and long, as is the finish. This will provide much enjoyment over the next decade or so.
| ACC 15573 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ACC 15574 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ACC 15578 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ACC 15579 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ACC 15580 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 | |
| ACC 15581 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $72 |
MASTERPIECE - THE SHOCK OF THE NEW - 3rd vintage of Meshach - The artist and the time of change - A fabulous vintage - A time when the tools and materials were readily available to those who knew and cared
OTHERWORLDY - RP99 - The 2004 Shiraz “Creek Block” is near otherworldly. It was sourced from a 66-year-old vineyard with yields of 1.0 tons per acre and aged for 28 months in used American oak. It delivers a super-fragrant nose of smoked meat, bacon, violets, an earthy/truffle element, blackberry, and blueberry muffin. This leads to a full-bodied, voluptuous wine with gobs of spicy, complex blue and black fruit flavors, great balance, and a finish that just won’t quit. This loaded wine can be enjoyed now but will drink well for another 15-20 years.
| LAR 0027 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $120 |
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 |
IN MEMORIAM - LOST FOUNDATION - 3rd vintage of CYRIL - The young and passionate artist - A labour of love - A commitment to tradition - A King Cabernet flame burning eternal bright
| GOG 0156 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $65 |
STYLISH - JH92 - Medium to full red-purple; a fragrant and complex bouquet with interwoven spicy oak and briary/berry fruit. A stylish wine on the palate with opulent use of high-toned spicy/charry oak; the oak level will come back with further time in bottle.
| GOG 0199 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $144 |
ELEGANT - JH92 - Medium-bodied; elegant, finely structured style; a subtle interplay of blackcurrant, earth, olive and fine French oak; long, balanced finish. Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot. Cork.
| ALB 0006 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $88 |
PERFECT BALANCE - JH96 - Excellent colour; a lovely wine, another in the stable to bounce back; classic cabernet fruit, with long, fine, cedary/savoury tannins; perfect balance.
| 106 0897 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 |
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: $206 |
HIGH QUALITY - JH95 - High quality wine; blackcurrant and cassis fruit leads both bouquet and palate; fine tannins and cedary oak add layers to the mouthfeel.
| 106 0898 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
AGE MAGNIFICENTLY - JH96 - Some of the vines for this wine were planted by Cyril Henschke back in the 1960s. Matured in French oak (10% new) for 18 months. Bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with top notes of redcurrant and red cherry. Olive tapenade, cedar, light briar notes and mountain herbs. Fine lacy acidity and tight, powdery tannin provide the frame, and there is no doubt that this release will age magnificently.
GREAT GRACE - RP94 - Deep brick color, the 1986 Hill of Grace is a well-defined nose of dried mulberries and kirsch with hints of truffles, menthol, earth and cigar boxes. Medium-bodied with good fruit concentration and plenty of savory, spicy layers of flavors, it has bright acid, medium-firm, grainy tannins and a long finish. It is mature. 2013 Lisa Perotti-Brown MW vertical tasting
| NIK 0176 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & label damage | Current Bid: $600 |
GREAT GRACE - RP89 - 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. 2013 Lisa Perotti-Brown MW vertical tasting
| NIK 0178 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $600 |
APPEALING - RP94 - Deep brown in color, the 1989 Hill of Grace has an appealing nose of dried cherries, fruit cake and cloves with underlying dried lavender, thyme and salami hints. Medium-bodied with tons of savory and dried berry flavor layers, it has bright acidity, a medium level of rounded tannins and a long finish with a herbal lift. It is mature. Lisa Perotti-Brown tasting 2013
| GOG 0160 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $360 |
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.- LISA PEROTTI BROWN MW - 2013
| STO 0183 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $360 |
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. - LISA PEROTTI BROWN - 2013
| STO 0204 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, label detached from bottle | Current Bid: $360 |
RP90 - Deep garnet-brick in color, the 1998 Hill of Grace has a medicinal nose of iodine plus warm plums, prunes, licorice and espresso. A bit hard in the mouth, it has crisp acid, medium to firm, chewy and somewhat astringent tannins through the long finish. Mature now, it should keep through 2020+. 2013 Lisa Perotti-Brown MW vertical tasting
| SRF 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $580 |
THOROUGHBRED - JH96 - Dense colour; powerful, classic thoroughbred texture and focus; black fruits; silky, smooth tannins and finish. No brett.
| TIM 0001 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $600 |
GREATEST GRACE? - JH99 - The 60th anniversary of what is widely considered Australia's finest single-vineyard wine. Sometimes you've got to pinch yourself and ponder what a lucky existence this wine hack stuff is, sitting here in the Henschke cellar door having just tasted 26 vintages of Hill of Grace spanning back to 1958. Grace by name, grace by nature, it is an elegant, beautiful wine, tannin–acid architecture on point, the fruit depth is just stunning, dotted with five-spice, sage, pepper, charcuterie, crushed quartz and the most lovely, kinetic tannin structure. Finishes with great sustain, harmony and grace. Voluminous and complex, with amazing fruit density and just a complete wine. A classic!
RP98 -The Hill of Grace vineyard, in Eden Valley, comprises 13 separate blocks, six of which feed into the Hill of Grace Shiraz. The oldest block (0.56 hectares), known as "Grandfathers," was planted around 1860. The other blocks were planted in 1910 (0.33 hectares), 1951 (1.08 hectares), 1952 (0.7 hectares), 1956 (0.88 hectares) and 1965 (0.57 hectares). The 2018 Hill of Grace Shiraz was matured in a combination of new (20%) and seasoned (80%) oak hogsheads (83% French, 17% American) for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. On the nose, the 2018 vintage assists this wine in speaking clearly of its regional location: raspberry and licorice, coal dust, black tea and tobacco leaf. There are inflections of black truffle and bone broth, which always seem to emerge, however the wine is brighter and more focused than I have seen. It offers a beautiful, svelte display of fruit and tannin, with all things in harmony in the mouth. This is very long, as we would expect from the pedigree of this wine and the vineyard. It is concentrated and intense, sinewy, elegant and powerful—a wine for the future generation.
| ACC 15966 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $749 | |
| ACC 15967 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $749 | |
| ACC 16426 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $749 |
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 16640 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 | |
| ACC 16641 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 | |
| ACC 16642 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $841 |
POWERFUL & COMPLEX - JH92 - From Post Office Block 3, is reflective of the drought year, but in some ways to its advantage; very powerful and complex, the flavour ripe on the full-bodied palate, yet not tough. For cellar door (best customers) and fine retail sales. Shiraz.
| NEV 0118 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $360 | |
| NEV 0119 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $360 |
PERFECTLY RIPENED - 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.
| MJG 0144 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $155 |
RARE - 2nd vintage - JH95 - Dark, dense red; an immensely powerful and deep bouquet with earth, briary, chocolate and vanilla oak is followed by a very rich and wonderfully sweet palate, luscious yet not jammy, with the fruit and oak totally welded together.
| WHO 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $96 |
GREAT PROJECT - 3rd vintage - proof of concept! - JH95 - The bouquet is rich, complex and concentrated; abundant ripe dark berry and chocolate fruit, and sumptuous oak. The palate is flooded with sweet raspberry, redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit, balanced by tannins.
| WHO 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $120 |
DISTINGUISHED - 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.
| HKW 3753 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $90 | |
| ADS 0654 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $90 |
VOLUPTUOUS - JH96 - Inky crimson-purple; laden with voluptuous, but not jammy or dead, fruit in a blackberry, licorice and prune range, the tannins remarkably soft for a full-bodied wine, oak unobtrusive.
| PHI 0016 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $201 |
IT WILL FASCINATE - JH94 - Truffle, leather and heightened blackcurrant aromas/flavours dominate all the initial impressions, marking complexity as a main driver at the expense of pure fruit power. This isn't the blockbuster you might imagine; the flavour profile too is exotic, if not downright quirky. It will fascinate fields of drinkers for many years
| PHI 0029 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $247 | |
| PHI 0030 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $247 | |
| PHI 0031 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $308 | |
| PHI 0032 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $308 |
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.
| XNE 1348 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 1349 | 1 BOTTLE Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $364 | |
| XNE 1350 | 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 16564 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 | |
| ACC 16565 | 1 HALF BOTTLE | Current Bid: $169 |
RICHLY FLAVOURED - JH96 - Largely standard vinification with individual blocks ex the Armagh Vineyard, 10 days on skins, some blocks given 3 weeks post-ferment maceration. Elegance isn't the aim of The Armagh, but the '17 vintage has made it easy. Richly flavoured with dark fruits, savoury tannins balance and lengthen the palate.
| XSA 1438 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $344 | |
| XSA 1430 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $344 |
MASTERPIECE - JH97 - Individual blocks from within the Armagh vineyard (planted 1968). This is a big, savoury, meaty shiraz with layers and layers of concentrated purple fruits, hung deli meat, salted licorice, heirloom tomatoes, amaro herbs, freshly grated nutmeg, bay leaf and clove. The magical thing about this wine is actually not the flavours themselves (although impressive), but the way they spool out over the palate and through the extremely long, seemingly interminable finish. It is unfailingly consistent, the tannins fine and omnipresent. The whole package densely and patiently unfurls in the mouth. The wine is a masterpiece. Forever awaits.
| XSA 2170 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2169 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 | |
| XSA 2168 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $349 |
OPULENTLY FRUITED - RP97 - Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2013 Shiraz Old Bastard has a slowly emerging, complex nose of incense, cloves, star anise, tar, underbrush and earth with a blackberry and blackcurrant core plus a touch of wild thyme. The big, full, opulently fruited palate delivers tons of flavor layers and wonderful structure with firm, rounded tannins and a racy acid line supporting the generous fruit through the very long finish.
| PHI 0026 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $177 | |
| PHI 0027 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $176 | |
| PHI 0028 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $142 |
MASTERPIECE - THE SHOCK OF THE NEW - The artist and the time of change - A fabulous vintage - A time when the tools and materials were readily available to those who knew and cared
| GOG 0147 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| GOG 0148 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 | |
| GOG 0149 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $44 |
ART OF CABERNET - Masterworks of Leeuwin - JH97 - Wow. Silky smooth aromas of red berries, grey minerality (granite, graphite, etc) and breaths of oceans air whispered about. The palate is exactly as the nose promises, elegant and refined. Length of flavour is where this really kicks into gear, extending seamlessly across the palate, lingering and swirling in its profile. Beautiful, classical cabernet from a cool vintage. What a pleasure this is.
| ACC 13413 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $189 | |
| ACC 13863 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $187 | |
| ACC 13864 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $187 |
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.
| XLE 1061 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1062 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1060 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
SEAMLESS - JH96 - The fruit literally sings, appropriate given Leeuwin's annual concerts; white peach, nectarine and grapefruit are the sopranos, barrel ferment and mlf the orchestra behind, the result seamless but synergistic.
| XLE 1064 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1063 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1065 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
SEA OF FLAVOUR - JH96 - Pale, bright straw-green; fragrant grapefruit, melon and white peach aromas, the oak subtle and integrated, are followed by an exceptionally intense and long palate, the alcohol lost in the sea of flavour.
| XLE 1066 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1068 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1067 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
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.
| XLE 1071 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1070 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 | |
| XLE 1069 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $214 |
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.
| XLE 1074 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| XLE 1073 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 | |
| XLE 1072 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $244 |
SHEER PURITY & INTENSITY - JH97 - Bright yellow-green; the sheer purity and intensity of this wine is remarkable, even in the context of its imperious ancestry; it has its own flavour and tactile characters stemming from the perfect balance between the white peach and grapefruit flavours carried through the very long and detailed palate by bright acidity.
| XLE 1077 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1076 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 | |
| XLE 1075 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $234 |
CHARDONNAY ROYALITY - JH98 - There is always cause to genuflect in the presence of chardonnay royalty, such as that of Leeuwin Estate. It imposes its will without a flicker of effort; the line between citrus and stone fruit, and between oak and mineral comes and goes, leaving you grasping at straws; it's a wine of flawless balance, line and length.
| XLE 1080 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $217 | |
| XLE 1079 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $217 | |
| XLE 1078 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $217 |
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.
| XLE 1083 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 | |
| XLE 1081 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 | |
| XLE 1082 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $174 |
AWESOME - JH96 - A 28.5% each of cabernet, malbec, merlot and 14.5% petit verdot. Deep purple-crimson; this is a wine of awesome proportions, yet is so well balanced there are moments of elegance, and the blackcurrant, blueberry and blackberry fruit flavours will feed off the reservoir of tannins as the wine slowly wends its way to full maturity decades hence.
| 106 0873 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| 106 0874 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 | |
| 106 0875 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
SEDUCTIVE & ENTRANCING JH98 - The hue and depth is similar to that of the Old Paddock & Old Hill and Rosehill wines, and its bouquet is not radically different, but one sip and you realise that however great the OP & OH is, this wine is on another level again. Swallowing wines in a day's tasting is a mortal sin, and I have sinned with this, so seductive and entrancing is it's all achieved by a medium-bodied wine with an alcohol of only 13.7% It has utterly perfect balance, great intensity, extreme length and a magnificent lineage.
| NIK 0455 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $128 | |
| NIK 0456 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
RARE & PRICELESS ICONIC RELIC - A token from Margaret River's early uncertain years - Deserves to be admired and left intact
9/10 - Very impressive with lively spice, cherry, mulberry and cedary oak flavours with chocolatey overtones; soft, extremely dense, intense, opulent tending towards lush, velvety texture. The palate is supple and round with fresh, rich, characters which are well integrated with charry oak. A big, powerful red with generous flavours, a tight structure and the weight to improve further with bottle development.The differences between the 1980 and the 1991 cabernets shows an evolution or a refinement of a style, with the latter having greater elegance and finesse. MOSS WOOD WEBSITE
| GOG 0002 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder, slight corroded capsule, stained label | Current Bid: $65 |
10/10 - The 1996 Moss Wood Cabernet has ripe mulberry, redcurrant aromas with some violet overtones and hints of earthy, tarry, smoky characters. The palate is supple and fleshy with mulberry, redcurrant, chocolate, coffee bean and smoky oak flavours: it is rich and concentrated with a tight structure and strong, fine though firmish, tannins. MOSS WOOD WEBSITE
| GOG 0003 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $100 |
10/10 - The wine has a deep brick red colour and its condition is brilliant. On the nose it is very complex. The primary fruit aromas are the typically Moss Wood redcurrants and mulberries but with additional pretty aromas like cherry and red jubes. These lively aromas seem to be the product of the mild growing season. There are also notes of coffee beans and chocolate and an earthy or olive-like note. The oak is soft and well balanced, giving a toasty background. On the palate, there are ripe redcurrant fruit flavours which are sweet and mouth filling, as well as some complex cassis and dark plum characters. The texture is soft and silky but the structure is tight, with both acid and tannin providing balance and length. On the finish, the oak flavours add length and the tannins are firm but not aggressive. This is one of the best vintages of Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon and ranks alongside the great years from the property (1996, 1995, 1980, 1975). In terms of style, it shares many of the characteristics of the 1979, although the seasons were a little different - 1979 finished in the rain but 1999 did not. On the strength of this, we are happy to recommend this wine for long-term cellaring and would suggest a minimum of ten years. Having just recently tried a bottle of the 1979, we are happy to report that it survived to 23 years old without any problems so we expect the 1999 to show the same endurance! MOSS WOOD WEBSITE
| GOG 0004 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $100 |
REGAL - JH95 - Positive red-purple colour; in the mainstream of Moss Wood style: supple, round and impeccably balanced, yet with regal cabernet expression. Small wonder that Moss Wood has one of the most loyal mail/email lists in Australia, and this release will please its followers as much as any prior year.
| MEM 0045 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $122 |
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.
STRUCTURED BEAUTY - JH97 - Moss Wood's flagship wine is a structured beauty with nothing out of place. The gloss of the colour, the florals, blackberries and mulberries infused with black olives, dried herbs and eucalypt; the French oak and the fine-grained tannins seal the deal. Very even and will reward the patient.
GREAT - JH99 - Includes 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc, hand-picked, destemmed, open-fermented, 14 days on skins, matured in French barriques (18% new). A luscious, plush cabernet, its voluptuous palate trimmed by dry herbs and foresty notes. A great vintage maximised by the thoughtful vinification.
| HKW 3935 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $96 |
MESMERISING - JH96 - From 51yo vines, 88/8/4% cabernet sauvignon/petit verdot/cabernet franc. Matured for 29 months in French oak (15% new). The 2017 vintage is responsible for cabernets of incredible poise and layering. This is not a thundering power piece, rather an intricately detailed and mesmerising wine, with fine folds of flavour: bay leaf, raspberry, star anise, sage, hints of fennel, pomegranate and pink peppercorn. This is pure, floral, pretty, and very long. Moss Wood has proven its capability for graceful ageing and this will be no exception.
| HKW 3936 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
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.
| MEM 0036 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| MEM 0037 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| MEM 0038 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| MEM 0039 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| MEM 0040 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
QUINTESENCE - 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.
| MIC 0099 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $180 | |
| MIC 0100 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $180 |
LUCIOUSLY - JH97 - Lusciously rich blackberry and spice; perfect oak integration; long finish. Best since O'Shea death in 1956.
| 106 0892 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
ROLLS ROYCE - JH99 - 'Arguably, one of the greatest red vintages in living memory', says Mount Pleasant. The flagship wine. Destemmed and crushed, short cold soak, open-fermented, matured in large format French oak (30% new) for 18 months. Has the gently throbbing power of a Rolls Royce; superb, deep crimson-purple hue, itself rare in the Hunter Valley. Countless layers of black fruits have absorbed the oak and put the undoubted tannins into limbo land. O'Shea would have died a happy man had this been his last wine. Dissecting it now is an academic exercise at best, so great is its future. This is as close to a 100-year potential as you are ever likely to find.
| STI 0381 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| STI 0382 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| STI 0386 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| STI 0387 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 | |
| STI 0388 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $114 |
EXCEPTIONAL - JH97 - To make life a little easier, 1788 bottles is 149 dozen, and this was bottle no. 753. It has spectacular crimson-purple colour, wonderful black fruits, licorice and quality oak on the palate, bolstered by perfect tannins on the very long and beautifully balanced finish. A truly exceptional wine, which will give pleasure whenever it is opened.
| MJG 0146 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $45 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030. Medium-deep crimson. Fresh developed blackberry, dried plum, mulberry, roasted chestnut and bitumen aromas. Generous and supple with plentiful sweet fruit and choco-berry flavours, fine loose-knit savoury tannins and integrated mocha oak. Finishes grainy firm with al dente grippy notes. A classic aged Coonawarra red. “A Claret-like style with dried cherry, dried roses, tobacco notes and fine tannins. Very graceful and seamless in texture.” (JR) “Distinct herbal-cedar nose with medicinal dried fruit notes. Delicious savouriness on the palate with softened tannins and a lovely sweet fruited finish.” (FW)
SUPERIOR - JH96 - A relatively recent addition to the Bin range, one that has always appealed to me. Full crimson-purple; the fragrant bouquet sends multiple, if not downright mixed, messages of red berries, spices and smoky oak; the vibrant palate is led by juicy, sweet fruit, before spicy oak and superfine tannins add their weight to the length and finish. An altogether superior wine.
| 106 0943 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $46 | |
| 106 0944 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $46 |
BABY GRANGE 60th BIRTHDAY BONUS
| NIK 0202 | 1 BOTTLE Mid shoulder, label damage, corroded & damage capsule | Current Bid: $480 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0146 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine 2010 Clinic & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $800 | |
| NIK 0147 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $640 |
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| NIK 0148 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $480 | |
| NIK 0149 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $440 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| TAP 0007 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2000/2001, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $280 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030. Medium-deep crimson. Intense autumnal wine with fresh wood smoke, blueberry and redcurrant aromas. Developed cassis, leather, panforte flavours, cola/chinotto and tarry notes with attractive leafy complexity. Finishes chalky dry and a touch leathery but still shows buoyancy and richness. “A lovely wine at the peak of its development.” (JH) “In great shape with dark berry fruits a hint of gaminess, smoky notes, creamy textures and molten tannins.” (JR)
| GOG 0092 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, slight label damage (back label) | Current Bid: $139 | |
| GOG 0093 | 1 BOTTLE High shoulder, slight label damage | Current Bid: $139 |
VINTAGE OF GOLD - LEGENDARY 1990 - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040. Medium-deep crimson. Complex and developed forest floor, graphite and dried rose aromas with remnant cassis notes. A supple and impeccably framed wine with rich inky cassis and leafy flavours, fine bittersweet tannins and underlying roasted walnut and chestnut notes. Finishes long, sweet and minerally.“A harmonious expressive wine with beautiful freshness, length and balance.” (JH) “Richly satisfying to drink with developed and hearty meaty savoury aromas, attractive density and supple fine tannins.” (NB)
| NIK 0159 | 1 BOTTLE Label damage | Current Bid: $144 |
GREAT EXPECTATIONS - JH97 - Deep, dense crimson-purple; the profound bouquet offers every kind of black fruits imaginable, large and small, yet somehow leaves a space and air in the mix for more complex secondary characters to emerge given time - lots of it. The palate takes all this, and adds to it with barrel ferment characters introducing licorice and touches of wild herb. This wine fully lives up to the great expectations held of it (and the vintage). Arguably the bargain of the release.
| EIO 0080 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2042+ Deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, ferric, black cherry and roasted coffee aromas with leafy notes. Saturated dark cherry, praline and panforte flavours, fine plentiful leafy tannins, attractive mid-palate richness and underlying espresso notes. Finishes chocolaty firm. Surprising density and power. “Remarkable purity, power and finesse with candied violet, blueberry fruits, smooth even tannins, richness and oak complexity.” (JR) “Tightly focussed, composed and packed tight with dark fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice and boot polish. Multi-layered wine not going anywhere in a hurry.” (NR)
| EIO 0081 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| EIO 0082 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| EIO 0083 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| EIO 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2023 to 2045Deep crimson. A lovely aromatic wine with dark cherry and blackcurrant aromas and violet and camomile notes. Beautifully concentrated, plush and dense with crushed dark cherry and pure blackcurrant pastille flavours, fine grainy but vigorous tannins, superb mocha oak integration and long, fresh and juicy acidity. Chocolaty sweet fruit on the finish. A classic Bin 389 with lovely richness, volume and power. “Highly seductive with pure ripe redcurrant, blackberry fruits and spicy floral notes. Supple and fine-grained with a winning balance, freshness and weight.” (NB) “Blackberry and dark plum aromas with charred meat, bracken and dried herbs. A savoury and tightly composed wine built on a firm tannin frame.” (NR)
| EIO 0095 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $57 |
WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS - JH97 - Matured for 12 months in American hogsheads (32% new). Unapologetically made with the don't fix if it isn't broken aphorism. It is tightly structured, with faultless attention to detail - wheels within wheels stuff, but inexorable in sending its black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant) flavour message. Despite its full body, and its far-reaching longevity, it's tailor-made for the saltbush lamb shoulder of tonight's dinner.
| 106 0920 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 | |
| 106 0921 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 | |
| 106 0922 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 | |
| 106 0923 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $66 |
COMPLEX & COMPELLING - JH97 - A 54/46% blend from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and Wrattonbully, matured for 12 months in American hogsheads (29% new). Like most of its siblings, is complex and compelling, the bouquet setting the scene, and the palate filling it. Black fruits, gently vanillan oak, superfine but persistent tannins are but the start.
| EIO 0106 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $59 | |
| EIO 0234 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $57 |
FLAWLESS BALANCE - JH96 - This '20 release marks the 60th anniversary of Bin 389. It is a 57/43% blend from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway, Coonawarra, Robe and Wrattonbully, matured in American hogsheads (38% new). A perennial favourite of mine, though the price does cause me to blink. It has great colour, and a supple mouthfeel that invests the wine with a hint of elegance, underlined by the fluid, flawless balance, the length a given.
| EIO 0117 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 |
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: $144 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2038 Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate and blackcurrant aromas with dried leafy herb garden notes. Generous, flavours, fine grainy/grippy tannins and integrated acidity. Attractive mid-palate richness and a firm chalky dry walnut-like finish. Minerally in style with attractive density and weight. “An elegant yet intensely flavoured style with penetrating pure fruits and fine silky tannins. Plenty of density and supportive structure to last the distance.” (NB) “Showing more black fruit characters and a notable olive tapenade edge. Slightly hollow through the mid-palate.” (NR)
| STO 0207 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $66 | |
| JON 0193 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $76 |
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.
| JOE 0024 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $532 | |
| JOE 0025 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $532 | |
| JOE 0026 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $532 |
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: $560 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0441 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004 | Current Bid: $1280 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0390 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2014 | Current Bid: $400 |
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: $2880 |
LEGENDARY - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040 - Deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, polished leather and tobacco aromas with leafy mocha demi-glace notes. Inky-deep with lovely complex dark chocolate, mocha and leafy tobacco flavours, black cherry/cassis notes, fine chalky-grainy textures and underlying savoury nutty oak complexity. Finishes firm. Lovely weight complexity and richness. At the peak of its powers. “A youthful glossy black fruited wine with very good tannin structure and no sign of premature aging.” (JH) “A deep shaft of sweet fruit at its heart. A heroic wine, an ambitious wine, a great wine now and likely to remain so for some time.” (NR)
| JOE 0020 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $276 |
LEGENDARY 1990 - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 . Medium-deep brick crimson. Intense walnut, leafy redcurrant, chinotto and cassis aromas with mocha notes. Generous and supple with leafy sage, blackcurrant, mocha, vanilla and sweet fruit flavours, fine slinky tannins and attractive mid-palate velvetiness. Chalky firm at the finish with forthright acidity. Fresh and mature showing great Coonawarra provenance. “A classic cabernet shiraz with lovely ripe red and dark fruits. Supple and seamless with great depth, succulence, largely resolved but still supportive tannins and exceptional length.” (NB) “Generous and fleshy with sweet creamy red fruits and sappy fresh penetrating fine tannins.” (JR)
| KNS 0375 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $284 | |
| JOE 0015 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $243 |
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 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2045 Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, leafy herb and sage aromas with dark chocolate and mocha notes. A faint hint of mint and eucalypt. Dense and ripe blackcurrant, cassis and mulberry fruits, sage and leafy leather characters. Fine, dense and compact grainy cedar tannins, liquorice, roasted walnut and graphite notes. Finishes cabernet sauvignon in total alignment. Selected for the limited-edition 750mL Penfolds Ampoule – designed and crafted by Adelaide glass artist Nick Mount with the assistance of Hendrik Forster (metal detailing), Andrew Bartlett (Jarrah timber cabinet) and Ray Leak (glass blower). Very rare with only 12 made. Released at $168,000 each in 2012, at the time the most expensive wine in the world sold direct by a winery. “Elemental and multi-layered with cassis intensity and capsicum sweet herbal notes. Supremely silky in texture with deep dark fruits underlying new oak complexity and fine grainy tannins. Beginning to relax and fan out.” (NB) “Full on Penfolds blood lines and complex beyond belief.” (JH)
| JOE 0016 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $496 |
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)
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| NIK 0340 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2016 | Current Bid: $4000 |
PENFOLDS INTERVENTION - Buy with confidence - Replacement capsule – Red Zinc embossed PENFOLDS GRANGE HERMITAGE (post 1985) – “likely” a Penfolds Museum Cellar release – “likely” recorked – NOT a Penfolds recorking clinic graduate (first in 1991) – NO certification back label
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0384 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label, Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018 | Current Bid: $3200 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0161 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018, & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1760 | |
| STO 0155 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1792 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP84 - A blend of 90% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine was attenuated and compressed, with excessive tannin. The wine has medium body and a very hard, angular, austere style. It is fully mature, so cellaring is not going to improve it. RP 2002 TASTING
| JKN 0001 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004, label damage | Current Bid: $1440 |
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: $880 |
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| NIK 0437 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2008, slightly stained label | Current Bid: $1600 | |
| NIK 0438 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2018, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1600 |
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!
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - RP93 - 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
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 - Medium-deep crimson. Fresh red cherry, blackberry herb garden aromas with roasted walnut, panforte and chinotto notes. Generous deep-set red cherry, blackberry redcurrant fruits, fine roasted chestnut and vanilla notes and fine chalky tannins. Finishes minerally and long with attractive tannin plume. Still looking fresh with unusual cherry, raspberry and kirsch notes. An atypical Grange but showing very well. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide) and Clare Valley. “Luscious black fruits with a background of persuasive tannins. Very much moving into a newer Grange era.” (JH). “A chunkier atypical Grange with shaded fruit characters, mocha and caramel. Very much a wine of its time.” (NR)
| NIK 0492 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $640 | |
| NIK 0505 | 1 BOTTLE Mid shoulder | Current Bid: $520 | |
| STO 0191 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2012 | Current Bid: $800 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence - PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040 - Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, blackberry shellac, hazelnut and herb garden aromas with cola, dust and graphite notes. Inky textured but substantial with developed dark chocolate, blackberry, hazelnut and crème brûlée flavours and red liquorice notes. Plentiful fine lacy textures, attractive inky complexity and extra-fine acidity. Finishes chalky with apricot and graphite notes. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide). “Powerful and expressive with smoky dried cherry, blueberry, espresso aromas, superb richness, spicy sweet oak notes and fine persistent tannins.” (JR) “Lovely lifted spice nose and a graceful elegant palate with many layers of spice cake, mulberry, coffee and cocoa.” (FW)
| NIK 0122 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2006 & label damage | Current Bid: $608 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0395 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2004 | Current Bid: $850 | |
| NIK 0396 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2014 | Current Bid: $800 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 Medium-deep crimson. Redcurrant, plum, blackberry and boysenberry aromas with espresso and toast notes. Concentrated redcurrant, plum and blackberry fruits, fine and plentiful ripe tannins, roasted walnut, chestnut complexity and integrated linear acidity. Well-balanced wine with demi-glace aged notes. “A giant step for RWT where it shows stylish fruit, lovely balance, and elegant cedar complexity. The confidence and generosity of flavours will continue to build.” (JH) “Four-square, yet broad in structure with plenty of sweet fruit flavours and seamless oak integration.” (FW)
| 991 0004 | 1 MAGNUM Slight label damage | Current Bid: $316 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2035 Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackberry aromas with vanilla and herb garden notes. Fresh blackberry, blackcurrant, dark plum demi-glace flavours, fine-grained tannins, lovely mid-palate viscosity and roasted chestnut and vanilla mocha oak complexity. Velvety firm/chocolaty finish. Impressively balanced wine. “Lovely fragrance with blue and black fruits sliding across the palate.” (JH) “Fresh black fruits with cedar notes. A lovely tight fully ripe palate with fine-grained tannins. Very expressive.” (FW)
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| NIK 0429 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds Red Wine Clinic 2010, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $1360 |
CLINIC CERTIFICATION - Buy with confidence
| STO 0152 | 1 BOTTLE Penfolds re-corking Clinic 1997, very high shoulder, slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $360 |
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)
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2050 Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, mocha, blackberry and liquorice aromas with roasted walnut notes. Richly concentrated and supple with smooth blackberry and dark chocolate flavours, fine velvety tannins, some roasted chestnut and panforte. Finishes chalky firm, long and sweet. A very good year for St Henri, it could end up like the 1971 (one of the great St Henri vintages of all time). “Tightly structured with intense fleshy redcurrant, blackberry fruits and compact firm dry tannins.” (NB) “Big, ripe and generous with fleshy dark fruits, bitter chocolate, liquorice notes and well-knit fine tannins. Powerful with very good depth of flavour and spiciness.” (JR)
| JON 0189 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $83 | |
| JON 0218 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $83 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2030 Medium-deep crimson. Intense rose garden, dried herb, dark cherry and praline aromas with some cedar complexity. Lovely and inky cassis, blackberry, dried herb and rose garden flavours. Fine supple yet grainy tannins, beautiful inky richness and long integrated acidity. Finishes firm and minerally. A classic Claret style. “A stylish St Henri which travels well across the palate until the finish.” (JH) “Blackberry, boysenberry, red liquorice and cocoa. Beautifully supple and sinewy with the classic St Henri gait across the palate.” (NR)
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink 2023 to 2045 Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackberry, dark plum, mulberry and brambly liquorice aromas. Plush and richly flavoured with ripe blackberry, mulberry, dark chocolate and liquorice flavours, roasted walnut notes and fine plentiful chalky/muscular tannins. A chocolaty grippy firm finish. Plenty of torque in this wine. “Bright, flowery, detailed and textured with an energetic crunch of raspberries and blackberries.” (NR) “Plenty of elegant black cherry and mulberry, sweet spices of clove, cinnamon and chocolate. Medium bodied compared to 2010 with a fine sweet tannin structure.” (FW)
| EIO 0171 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $110 | |
| EIO 0172 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| EIO 0173 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $100 | |
| EIO 0174 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $105 |
PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink 2023 to 2040 Deep crimson. Fresh elderberry, blackberry, camomile, praline, aniseed and herb garden aromas. Concentrated, exuberant and elemental with elderberry, blackberry and dark chocolate liqueur flavours, attractive negroni notes and classic fine grainy tannins. Finishes chalky firm with an aniseed kick. A superb vintage. “A powerful wine with the balance to last the distance.” (JH) “Deep-set mulberries, boysenberries, satsuma and plum with cocoa powder/liquorice. All supported by a fine tannin frame.” (NR)
| EIO 0186 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $80 |
ADORABLE - JH97 - Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills fruit. Matured 12 months in 50+yo vats. The effortless, unassuming self-assuredness of St Henri holds a unique and beloved place in the assemblage of Penfolds heroes, and 2018 marks a particularly special release. Accomplished, spicy, glossy black fruits of grand integrity unfold to magnificent effect in the glass, contrasting a fine-boned frame of rigid yet graceful, powder-fine tannins that carry a finish of long-lingering line and alluring appeal. I look forward to spectating from the sidelines as its fruit slowly unfurls over the decades to come. An adorable St Henri that exemplifies all that this label stands for.
| HKW 3847 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $90 | |
| HKW 3848 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| HKW 3849 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| EIO 0218 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| EIO 0219 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 | |
| EIO 0220 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $85 |
LATENT POWER & BEAUTY - JH97 - A lovely vintage, excellent fruit, wild fermentation, some extended maceration but time not specified, aged 18 months in French barrels, 40% new. Despite the hefty 1.6kg bottle, this wine is anything but weighty. An excellent dark garnet hue, it's resplendent with pure cabernet aromas and flavours. A latent power and beauty at the same time, with exceptional tannins, long and finely chiselled.
| ACC 10598 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 | |
| ACC 10599 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 | |
| ACC 10600 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 |
SUPERSTAR - JH97 - Small batches of the best parcels of fruit, matured separately in French oak for 18 months (30% new). Blackberry pie on the nose, this is concentrated and pure in its expression of both Coonawarra (black fruit, eucalyptus and ferrous) and exotic spice. On the palate the tannins are pronounced, and they certainly impact the fruit, but it is clear from the sheer volume of flavour that swells in the mouth that they will be no match in time. They will recede into the tidal wave of flavour and serve only to carry and guide the fruit through the finish, as Helios' chariot drove him across the sky. Inchoate as this is, it will emerge a superstar.
| HKW 4044 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 |
HOT PROPERTY - As foretold - It has come to pass - Prices will jump
| HKW 3833 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 | |
| HKW 3834 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $68 |
THE DAWN OF WINE - Dreams and destiny swirl the bountious vineyards of Barossa
| NIK 0398 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $280 | |
| NIK 0399 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $280 |
O'CALLAGHAN DREAMING - 1996 one of the GREAT Basket Press
| GOG 0086 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $200 | |
| GOG 0087 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $200 |
O'CALLAGHAN DREAMING - 1997 - Another buttress supporting the mighty Cathedral of Basket Press
| GOG 0090 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck | Current Bid: $144 | |
| GOG 0091 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder, slight label damage | Current Bid: $125 |
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - Rare and wonderful original box of 1998 - Super Rare, old BP 1998 Magnum
| NIK 0245 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $481 | |
| SRO 0105 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $220 |
AGE OF AQUARIUS - Begins the time of sharing and Kibbutz Krondorf - Super Rare, old BP Magnum
| NIK 0409 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $481 |
O'CALLAGHAN DREAMING - 2000 - The new Millenium begins with Rockford Revelry
| GOG 0017 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 |
AGE OF AQUARIUS - The time of sharing and Kibbutz Krondorf - Super Rare, old BP
| NIK 0465 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $184 |
O'CALLAGHAN DREAMING - JH96 - A complete Barossa traditional shiraz; moderate alcohol, oak and tannins, yet full of flavour and character. Has taken full advantage of a very good vintage. In its own-branded, high-shouldered brown bottle.
| SRO 0106 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $201 |
ELEGANT - JH90 - Mid-garnet; surprisingly elegant and light-bodied; has good flavour and length, but seems a fraction under-ripe; better than the other extreme.
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 | |
| NEV 0125 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 | |
| NEV 0126 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $132 |
BENCHMARK - 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.
GREAT CLASSIC - GREAT VINTAGE - 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.
| EIL 0813 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $153 | |
| GJ3 0022 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| GJ3 0023 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $151 | |
| GJ3 0024 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 | |
| GJ3 0025 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 |
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 | |
| GJ3 0026 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $130 | |
| GJ3 0027 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $130 | |
| GJ3 0028 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 | |
| GJ3 0029 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $150 |
PERFECT - JH99 - Quintessential Basket Press, bowing to no passing fad or fancy, the high-shouldered, brown glass bottle with Rockford Wines embossed on its base and the distinctive label that will never change because it's so perfect. It's a manifestation of the wine it contains, always very good, this vintage outstanding. I taste well over 5000 wines per year for the Wine Companion, and am never tempted to swallow during a day-long tasting session - well, this wine was the exception to prove the rule. Its balance, mouthfeel and silky purple and black fruits are perfect.
EMBLEMATIC - JH97 - Nearly 30 parcels of old, dry-grown fruit from some of the finest grape-growing families in the Barossa. Open-fermented and matured in American and French oak for nearly 2 years. Deep colour; arguably the Barossa's most emblematic shiraz, faithfully reflecting the best features of a seamless assembly of district flavours picked at precisely the right time. This is fruit talking, not alcohol, not oak, not rough tannins.
| AGA 0004 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| AGA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 | |
| AGA 0006 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $140 |
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - Rare and wonderful original unopened box of 2016 - First of the Lost to Fame vintages - 2015 Last Halliday review
| NIK 0422 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $160 |
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for Milan, New York & Japan - Dont need ratings
LOST TO FAME - Too sexy for Milan, New York & Japan - Dont need ratings
| BEN 0063 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 | |
| BEN 0064 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 | |
| BEN 0065 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 | |
| BEN 0066 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $224 |
LOST TO FAME - I do my little turn on the catwalk - Dont need ratings
CURRENT RELEASE - By "Hook or by Crook" - Do what's needed to get yours
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0404 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $400 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0547 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0548 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 | |
| NIK 0549 | 1 BOTTLE Stained label | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0551 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $240 |
SVS - RFR - Rockford for Royalty - Super Rare - Super Special - Too elite for common folk
| NIK 0402 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $360 | |
| 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: $264 |
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 |
Jimmy Watson Trophy
| MJG 0148 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 |
SLASHING - JH96 - Made from 400 shiraz vines planted by Carl August Otto Schiller in the 1880s. It's Barossa shiraz in all its glory. Ripe, blackberried, aniseed fruit meets smoke, iced coffee and ground spice. It has more than a little 'come hither' about it yet it's also sophisticated and complex. In short, it's a slashing wine.
| MJG 0151 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $45 | |
| MJG 0152 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $40 |
JWT WINNER - 1992
| GOG 0096 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck, cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $22 | |
| GOG 0097 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $24 | |
| GOG 0098 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $24 |
GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH - 30th Birthday tribute - Storied Legend that will silence the silliest snob and hush the most esteemed critic - True Hommage - The heart and soul of the Greatest Australian wines
| GGR 0196 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $99 |
EUREKA - JH97 - From the vineyard adjacent to the Great Western winery planted in the 1920s. Deep red-purple, rich blackberry, black cherry and spice aromas matched by controlled French oak, flow into an opulently rich and luscious palate flooded with black cherry fruit; ripe tannins sustain the long finish. Eureka.
| GOG 0219 | 1 BOTTLE Slight cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $57 |
BEAT THIS! - JH97 - From central and southern (the latter warmer) parts of the Adelaide Hills, hand-picked, part destemmed, part whole bunch, open-fermented with gentle plunging. The colour is bright, the bouquet full of red fruits, darker fruit notes and delicious pepper and spice nuances. These characters flow through to the medium-bodied palate of Shaw + Smith's most consistently outstanding wine, the '15 vintage making it seem so easy.
| NIK 0458 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $32 | |
| NIK 0461 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $32 | |
| NIK 0462 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $32 |
MUSEUM WINE - JH97 - From central and southern (the latter warmer) parts of the Adelaide Hills, hand-picked, part destemmed, part whole bunch, open-fermented with gentle plunging. The colour is bright, the bouquet full of red fruits, darker fruit notes and delicious pepper and spice nuances. These characters flow through to the medium-bodied palate of Shaw + Smith's most consistently outstanding wine, the '15 vintage making it seem so easy.
SCREAMING EAGLE - RP96 - There are about 500 cases of the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was aged in both American and French wood (one-half new). The Screaming Eagle of South Australia, it possesses great purity, layers of fruit, enormous volume and intensity, and at the same time, it is strikingly elegant and well-proportioned. This stunningly pure Cabernet tastes like pure creme de cassis intermixed with licorice and oak. It should drink well for 15-16 years, but who will be able to hold onto it that long?
| LAR 0031 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $48 |
NEARLY PERFECT - RP99 - The nearly perfect 2002 Shiraz is the stuff of legends. It is a 1,000 case cuvee that has been completely fermented and aged in 100% new American oak. An inky purple color is accompanied by a remarkable bouquet of white flowers intermixed with melted licorice, blackberries, currants, figs, and espresso roast. Extremely full-bodied, with extraordinary ripeness, opulence, and viscosity, yet very good acidity as well as excellent tannin providing up-lift and definition, this unforgettable wine can be drunk now or cellared for a decade or more. Bravo!
| LAR 0033 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $78 | |
| LAR 0034 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $78 |
SINGLE X-FILE - THE TRUTH IS STILL OUT THERE - Singlefile, in such a short time, has achieved more success with amazing wines than humanly possible - What is the secret? - 2019 Family Reserve Chardonnay in Magnums
| ACC 13950 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $119 | |
| ACC 13951 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $119 |
STRIKING - JH96 - A gleaming straw-green hue. This wine has a very complex and immediately striking bouquet, with grapefruit at all points along the way, the palate equally striking and persuasive with its silver lining of cashew and acidity.
| ACC 16892 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $74 |
OLD & GOOD - First released in 1983 - One of the original Barossa Shiraz standard bearers
| GOG 0159 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $49 |
GLORIOUS - JH96 - Fresh crimson-purple; the quality of the fruit filling the bouquet transposes directly to the medium- to full-bodied palate, in turn overflowing with luscious but not overripe fruit. The finish is the high point of the wine, bringing all the best characters together; glorious, juicy fruit and a long high quality finish/aftertaste; touches of licorice and dark chocolate.
| NEV 0122 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $67 |
QUITE GORGEOUS - JH96 - The Suckfizzle vineyard is very far south on the Cape Leeuwin point, which brings with it an effortless natural acid profile. A luminescent ruby hue all but shimmers in the light. The fruit in this glass is scintillatingly pure, the acidity threaded through is briny and enlivening. The tannins provide shape and support as the carriage of flavour makes its way over the tongue, hinting at the capability of this wine to age over the coming years. Quite gorgeous now though, I bet many don't make it past middle age.
| ACC 15299 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| ACC 15300 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 | |
| ACC 15301 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $55 |
FINE 50TH
| 286 0039 | 1 BOTTLE Very high shoulder & cellar damaged label, corroded capsule | Current Bid: $16 |
CLASSY - RP97+ - With a deep garnet-purple color, the 2010 Andelmonde is a little closed yet still exudes lovely, pure dark fruits and violet scents intermingled with some earthiness and aniseed notes. This Medium to full-bodied, single vineyard Shiraz shows great balance between a vibrant acid line and medium-firm, very fine tannins before finishing with long, layered flavors. It is a very classy wine. Drink it from 2015 to 2025+.
| MJG 0155 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $125 | |
| MJG 0156 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $125 |
ANOTHER CRACKING RELEASE - JH96 - A cooler vintage for Tolpuddle with some hen and chicken and lighter bunches due to a wetter-than-normal spring, before excellent ripening conditions for the remainder of the growing season. When compared to the '22 release there is a little more concentration on display. Vibrant, magenta-splashed ruby in the glass with aromas of dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruits with hints of crushed herbs, softly spoken vanillin oak, raspberry coulis, charcuterie board, purple flowers, bay leaf and stone. Rich and flowy with spice, herbal and floral tendrils weaving through the pure base layers of dark fruits. Textural and harmonious with finely crushed riverstone tannins and mineral line providing support and cadence. Another cracking release from Tolpuddle.
| ACC 17250 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17251 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17252 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17253 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17254 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 | |
| ACC 17255 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $88 |
FINISHING VERY LONG - RP98 - Co-fermented with a splash of Viognier, the 2007 RunRig gives a very deep garnet-purple color and a perfumed nose of warm cassis, crushed blackberries and blueberries over anise, cassia, cloves, tea leaves, rose hips plus earthy hints of black truffles and tilled loam. The full-bodied palate offers rich, ripe but not over-ripe fruit with a taut structure of firm grainy tannins and crisp acid, finishing very long with a gamey/savory character coming through with some cedar and baking spices. Not a style to be broached too early, consider drinking this from 2015 to 2025+.
| STO 0171 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $200 | |
| STO 0180 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $172 |
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 | |
| ACC 17224 | 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 |
COMPLETE 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 17218 | 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 17225 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17226 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17227 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17228 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 | |
| ACC 17229 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $279 |
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: $432 |
GRUNT, GRIT & MUSCLE - RP97+ - Tasting the RunRig beside the Descendant is always a wise move, in order to gain some contextual understanding of how they are similar and, perhaps more importantly, how they differ. This 2020 RunRig was sourced from six different vineyards across Barossa (in Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass and Greenock) and includes a 2% "dosage" (as winemaker Ian Hongell described it) of Viognier. Matured for 30 months in a combination of new French oak (50%) and second and third fill barrels, the wine rests on its lees for that time. The lower percentage of Viognier here is a seductive and effective thing, adding just enough slick and polish to make this the sybaritic wine that it is, but little enough to allow the grunt, grit and muscle of the Shiraz from all those glorious locations to shine through. Despite the very long time in oak, the wine is balanced and excellent, big in almost every possible way but with an undeniable sense of class and length of flavor. Executed with detail and precision, this wine is clearly defined in its expression of house style.
| ACC 17210 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $251 | |
| ACC 17211 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $251 | |
| ACC 17212 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $251 |
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.
| ACC 12298 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $639 |
BATED BREATH - JH97 - I need to turn the music down. Take a breath. Strap in for a fidelitous ride across the ebbs and flows of Hunter regality, when I taste this suite of semillon. The top drawer, with few peers. Belford, a little more reticent and stonier than its Stevens brethren. Talc, wet pebbles strewn across a stream, lemongrass and citrus balm. But the texture, the opus. Still in need of time. Taut, linear and of pixelated detail and precision. Wait with bated breath.
TIME - JH97 - The ship slowly turns and sets sail for the future. It's not the deepest or darkest of wines at first but give it time to breathe and the reach and power is something to behold. It tastes of blackcurrant and camphor, bay leaves and black olives, smoky oak applied as an infusion rather than as anything terribly overt. Flavour: most certainly. Tannic power: oh yes. Explosive length: most definitely. Time will be this wine's friend.
| XSA 0706 | 1 BOTTLE - Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $189 | |
| XSA 0804 | 1 BOTTLE - Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $189 | |
| XSA 0782 | 1 BOTTLE - Museum ReleaseEx-cellar | Current Bid: $189 |
DEMANDS PATIENCE - JH96 - A noble blend of 78% cabernet, 20% malbec and a dollop of petit verdot, conferring ample richness and an authoritative spine: saline maritime acidity and detailed grape tannins, moreish and ripe, attesting to an extraction regime of courage and confidence. Together with extended maturation in French barrique (18 months, 50% new), the structural attributes are impressive. While this full-bodied wine demands patience, one can already detect cassis, lead, cedar, graphite, a herbal potpourri, a swab of black olive and a bay leaf linger, across cedar oak beams.
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.
| EIL 0816 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $98 |
AWESOME - JH94 - Medium to full purple-red; the bouquet is highly scented, with pungent earth and mint aromas. Black cherry flavours progressively appeared through the powerful, earthy and tightly knit palate; awesome tannins.
| GOG 0218 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $101 |
CULT DOUBLE CLASSIC - Revered Shiraz - Revered 1998 Vintage
| SRO 0083 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| SRO 0084 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 | |
| SRO 0085 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
NO NOTES
| HKW 3736 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $73 |
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 | |
| XWE 0364 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XWE 0365 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $98 | |
| XWE 0366 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $98 |
SUPREMELY REFINED - JH95 - Matthew. A blend of 79% cabernet, 14% merlot and 8% malbec, this supremely refined wine is Margaret cabernet at its best. Deep, bright ruby red in colour, pure blackcurrant fruit aromas intermingle with some gently olive tapenade notes and cedar notes while the medium-bodied and very persistent palate is supported by very persistent and very fine-grained tannins.
| EIO 0202 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| EIO 0203 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| EIO 0204 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| EIO 0205 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| EIO 0206 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 | |
| EIO 0207 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $120 |
ADDICTIVE - JH97 -Cabernet plus 3% malbec and 1% cabernet franc is matured for 21 months in 100% new French oak. Bright crimson; the wine nearly escapes under the radar, until it starts accelerating on the mid-palate and hurtles through the finish and aftertaste, drawing saliva as the intensity of cassis, earth, black olive and cedar spear through the mouth.
| HOL 0673 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 | |
| HOL 0674 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $109 |
Jimmy Watson Trophy
| MJG 0157 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $36 | |
| MJG 0158 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $36 | |
| MJG 0159 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $36 | |
| MJG 0160 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $36 |
UTTERLY EXEMPLARY - JH97 - Over the past 5 years Xanadu has produced cabernets of utterly exemplary quality and style. This wine is a 90/5/5% blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and malbec. Part was given extended maceration post-fermentation, and, once pressed, the wine spent 16 months in French oak (55% new). Has exceptional texture and structure thanks to super-normal tannins that are woven through the luxuriant cassis and plum fruit.
| 106 0954 | 1 MAGNUM | Current Bid: $100 |
CAVALCADE - JH98 - Given extended post-fermentation maceration for 28 days, then 14 months in French barriques (50% new) for 14 months before a final barrel selection. A very powerful exposition of cabernet with a cavalcade of flavours of cassis/blackcurrant, mulberry and even a hint of plum, all enhanced by quality oak and ripe tannins.
| 106 0915 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 | |
| 106 0916 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 | |
| 106 0917 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $56 |
SEROIUSLY GOOD - JH97 - 95% cabernet sauvignon, 5% malbec. It's a best barrels selection with the final blend seeing 45% new French oak. This takes quality by the scruff of the neck. It's seriously good cabernet: firm, flavoursome, tidy, balanced and long. It has excellent concentration, a thick mesh of tannin, and enough nuance for you to know that more is to come. You could build a cellar around a wine like this.
| XWA 2723 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XWA 2716 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XWA 2724 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 |
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 2725 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XWA 2732 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 | |
| XWA 2733 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $89 |
IRRESTIBLE - JH97 - What’s the point of writing anything about this wine? Really. But you’ve come this far so I’ll add the reason: It’s complete, exceptional and beguiling. The best Margaret River cabernet exemplifies those alluring characters. OK, you want to know more. It’s heady with mulberries, cassis and damson plum, wakame and squid ink. Medium bodied, plush and velvety across the palate thanks to sublime tannins with an outrageously long finish. This is irresistible.
| XWA 2736 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $87 | |
| XWA 2734 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $87 | |
| XWA 2735 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $87 |
MONUMENTAL - JH97 - The problem with Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay is that it is delicious on release. But that has nothing on what it morphs into, with age. This is a wine that is all too often overlooked (not in the show system, granted) by collectors, because too few people have been privy to the wines in their middle age. A problem emerges: the wines are drunk too early and don't get the opportunity to show their full potential. This is crystalline, pure – almost austere – toasty and spiced, with layers of undulating flavour through the fine, spooling finish. A monumental wine of endless potential.
| ACC 15253 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $89 |
EXCEPTIONAL - JH97 - It can happen. One taste and, while thinking about some meaningful words to describe this exceptional wine, I’m already transported to my happy place. Forgive me. It took time to come back to earth. By then, I had drained the glass. I hope this is your experience, too. The power and beauty of Margaret River fruit are on full display with all the refinement and detail that comes with it. The palate pulses with energy, there’s texture via lees, and judicious handling of oak and fruit, of course. The tensile yet fine acidity weaves everything together towards a super-long finish.
BEAUTIFUL - JH97 - Stained/spongy cork. A beautiful wine in all respects, its heart soft and generous, its head stern and serious, the combination as complete as it is complex. It tastes of an assortment of red and black berries, tobacco and cloves, with tremendously well integrated smoky oak and plenty of tang, tannin, flavour and run through the finish. An exhibition in both power and elegance. Cork permitting, it will mature gloriously.
| XNE 2432 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $394 | |
| XNE 2433 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $394 | |
| XNE 2431 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $394 |
PERFECT - JH99 - 69% Coonawarra Menzies Ming D Block cabernet sauvignon, 25% Barossa Valley Nuriootpa shiraz planted 1901, 6% Eden Valley shiraz planted 1971. Wild ferment to start. Matured 21 months in 25% new French oak barriques and hogsheads. Yalumba began blending Coonawarra cabernet with Barossa shiraz more than a half century ago. This is one of the greatest expressions of this great Australian blend of recent decades. Perfect, compact, fragrant blackcurrant and blackberry fruit depth pauses time as it hovers motionless for minutes, propelled by the most intricate, chalk mineral framework of perfectly interlocked fruit and French oak tannins. A vintage to hark back to for another half century yet.
| XSA 1420 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $357 | |
| XSA 1428 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $357 | |
| XSA 1419 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $357 | |
| KAT 0002 | 1 BOTTLE BOXED | Current Bid: $156 | |
| KAT 0010 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $156 |
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.
BENCHMARK - JH98 - The Caley from Yalumba has quickly established itself as one of the benchmark wines in the 'Great Australian Blend' category. An elegant representation of how well Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon and Barossa shiraz (at 77/23% split) can work together in the right hands. There is a black-fruited intensity to its form, fine spice and cedar tones suffusing slowly through the wine with tobacco, dried herbs, pressed flowers, pencil shavings, cinnamon and roast beef. Texturally, it's a stunning wine: super pure black fruits, a silken flow, fine, powdery tannin, lacy acidity and a graceful, extended retreat from the mouth with lingering black fruit flavours, cedar and spice.
| XSA 2251 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $321 | |
| XSA 2252 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $321 | |
| XSA 2250 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $321 |
BLAZE OF RED FRUIT - JH97 - From the highest section of the vineyard planted '46 on the deepest sand, hand-picked, 50% whole berries, cold soak, open-fermented, wild yeast, matured in used French oak for 12 months. This is in another league altogether. There is total fusion between the fruit and tannins first up, oak likewise subsumed by the fruit. There is a bright display of a blaze of red fruits, so vivid the structural components are relegated to the back of the stage, where they will remain for the life of the wine.
| PHI 0019 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $62 |
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: $212 |
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: $229 | |
| ACC 16033 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $229 |
SUPERSTAR - RP98 - The 2021 Coleraine is a superstar. It's the best I recall seeing on release in recent years, a total "pleasure-dome" situation. Tea tree, oyster shell, lavender, black tea and tobacco leaf burst from the glass. Seamless, polished tannins grace the palate. There is texturally more silk to the tannins here than the Awatea tasted beside this (another great wine, for what it's worth). There are notes of creamy red fruits, cassis and bramble, Asian five spice, black cherry and graphite/mineral skein. The persistence of flavor here is extraordinary; it's detailed and nuanced but insistent in the mouth. The tannins cup the fruit in the mouth. Winemaker Phil Brodie said there are no enzymes or added tannin; it's all from the vineyard. This is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. 2021 was left in barrel a little longer than the 2020 to refine the tannins.
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.
SPECTACULAR - RP94 - This is a slightly more subdued vintage of this legendary wine, albeit just as sophisticated as past editions. The 2014 Barolo Sperss opens to gorgeous aromas of dark fruit, wet earth and white truffle. The vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba produced much less fruit than average and suffered from bouts of downy mildew during the rainy seasons. But Serralunga d'Alba fruit is also harvested late, and that extra time was important for achieving grape ripeness targets. The wine presents depth and complexity within the context of a thinner vintage. Having said that, the bouquet is spectacular.
| LUC 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $320 | |
| LUC 0002 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $320 |
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.
| XSA 2190 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 | |
| XSA 2187 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 | |
| XSA 2188 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $144 | |
| ACC 16963 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $144 |
ICON WINES - RP97+ - One of the icon wines of Tuscany, the Isole e Olena 2019 Cepparello is all Sangiovese crafted by the loving hands of a winemaking legend, the great Paolo De Marchi (who finalized the sale of his beloved estate when this wine hit the market). Indeed, this wine opens a discussion on the future of this celebrated IGT Toscana, a wine that followed a strict vision and style under De Marchi. It is elegant and rich with fine aromas of black and purple fruit. It ferments in oak and ages in French barrique for 20 months, with one-third new oak. With 58,000 bottles released, this is a sure candidate for long cellar aging.
BEST - RP90 - The 2000 Solaia, not unexpectedly, is the best wine of the series with expansive aromas of black currants, thyme, and sage, much eucalyptus and chocolate on the palate along with ripe, sweet fruit, and a sizeable finish. Drink: 2005-2018. Are we dealing with a half-full or a half-empty glass here? Hard to say, but the competition among the bigger houses is getting tougher in Tuscany, and Antinori may have to look at its quantities in less favorable vintages. It is not clear, for instance, that the right stuff for over one hundred thousand bottles of Guado al Tasso was available in 2000.
| 106 0889 | 1 BOTTLE Cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $240 |
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
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 2079 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 2080 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 | |
| XNE 2081 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $809 |
CRAVING - RP96 - Tasted blind in Bordeaux, the 1976 Chateau d'Yquem reaffirms its reputation as one of the great wines of the decade, although I would suggest that that 1971 and 1975 are the true pinnacles. However, in no way do I wish to slight this Sauternes. Deep and slightly burnished in color, it offers dried pineapple, barley sugar, almond and a cheeky puff of café latte. There is wonderful definition here. The palate is underpinned by nigh on perfect acidity with orange rind, mango, crème brûlée and minerals. As it fans out towards the finish, there is a tang of Seville orange marmalade, and though it does not quite possess the persistence of the 1975 Yquem, you will be craving for the next sip. At its peak now, enjoy this great Yquem over the next 20-30 years. Tasted April 2016.
| KNS 0406 | 1 BOTTLE Into neck & cellar damaged label | Current Bid: $640 |
DECADENT - RP95 - Pale gold colored, the 1998 d'Yquem features a flamboyant, rock-star nose of allspice, candied ginger, honeycomb and crème brûlée with a core of preserved lemons, mandarin peel and musk perfume plus a waft of potpourri. Beautifully balanced in the mouth, with seamless freshness lifting the decadent sweetness (134.4 grams per liter of residual sugar), it culminates with fantastically persistent layers of exotic spices.
| XNE 1130 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2199 |
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.
SUPERB - RP98 - The 2007 d'Yquem is considered a perfect example of the Sauternes "miracle." Despite a chaotic spring and cool summer, the botrytis transformed the grapes, giving them ideal concentration throughout October. With 137 grams of residual sugar, it offers up a complex, fresh, enchanting bouquet with aromas of apricot, pineapple, saffron, orchard fruits and spices intertwined with a touch of white truffles. Full-bodied and concentrated, layered and seamless, the wine is fresh and tense on the mid-palate, with a long, penetrating and racy finish. Superb!
| ACC 11950 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $949 | |
| XNE 1092 | 1 MAGNUM Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2099 |
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.
| XNE 1095 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $639 | |
| XNE 1096 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $639 | |
| XNE 1097 | 1 HALF BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $639 | |
| 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.
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 1129 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 | |
| XNE 1128 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1049 |
HOMMAGE - RP96+ The 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is a beast of a wine that’s shed most of the baby fat it showed from barrel. A normal blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, and the rest Syrah and Counoise, this tiny production release has incredible minerality to go with searing black and blue fruits, forest floor, smoked earth and leather. Full-bodied, inky, concentrated and backwards with a serious kick of tannin, it will need a decade of cellaring to be approachable. I suspect it will have 2-3 decades of longevity
| ACC 10638 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $739 | |
| XNE 0663 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0658 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0659 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 |
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 0664 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0666 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $749 | |
| XNE 0667 | 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 0669 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 0670 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $814 | |
| XNE 0668 | 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 0671 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0672 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 | |
| XNE 0673 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $924 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA LANDONNE - RP95+ - La Landonne is never destemmed and is always the last of the single-vineyard wines to be picked. Philippe Guigal calls it “the most Pauillac of the Cote Roties,” and the 2013 Cote Rotie La Landonne bears that out. It’s slightly austere and firmly tannic, with attractive floral aromas and layers of dark fruit that will require time to fully emerge.
| KEV 0012 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $492 | |
| KEV 0013 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $492 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA LANDONNE - RP95+ - While the 2014 Cote Rotie La Landonne looked like the pick of the litter from barrel, now that it's in bottle, it's closed down a bit and is showing more of its stemmy, whole-bunch character. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most potent and concentrated of the La Las but considerably less charming at this point in time, with brooding, dark fruit, hints of espresso and black olive on the palate and a chewy, tannic finish. Give it at least 5 years in the cellar before checking in on it.
| KEV 0014 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 | |
| KEV 0016 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA MOULINE - RP94 - The 2013 Cote Rotie La Mouline shows none of the vintage’s sometimes dry tannins. It offers crisp black fruit—plums and blackberries—underscored by hints of pencil shavings, espresso and grilled meat. Suave and long, it should drink well for a couple of decades.
| KEV 0017 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $442 | |
| KEV 0018 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $442 |
SAY SYRAH LEGEND - LA MOULINE - RP97 - Floral aromas accent sturdy notes of grilled meat and almost delicate notes of red berries in the open, approachable 2014 Cote Rotie La Mouline. Medium to full-bodied, it shows great purity and a supple, silky, classic feel. It's built more on elegance and complexity than power, with those floral, herbal notes leaving a long, silky impression on the finish.
| KEV 0020 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 | |
| KEV 0021 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $417 |
EPIC - RP98+ Very deep purple-black in color, the 2016 Ducru-Beaucaillou delivers a pronounced, enticing nose of baked plums, blueberry preserves, fruitcake and boysenberry with suggestions of lilacs, mocha, hoisin and exotic spices plus a waft of cedar chest. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate has layer upon layer of black fruit preserves and spicy nuances, matched by a very firm, grainy frame, finishing with epic length and depth.
| PRE 0016 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $280 |
JAW DROPPINGLY IMPRESSIVE - RP100 - A blend of 50% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Haut-Brion is reticent to begin, languidly revealing crushed black cherries, ripe black plums and wild blueberries with sparks of cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg, espresso, unsmoked cigars, tapenade, crushed rocks and lavender. The full-bodied palate possesses wonderfully complementary contrasts of bold black and blue fruit richness and delicately nuanced cherry fruit, baking spices and floral accents, strutting ripe, finely pixelated tannins and seamless acidity that is placed firmly in the background, finishing very long and with plenty of attitude. This impeccably poised, exquisitely perfumed 2015 Haut-Brion possesses the most alluring yet seemingly effortless beauty. While it bears only a passing resemblance in its opulent personality to the now legendary 1989, like that vintage the 2015 cannot fail to hedonically satiate and intellectually edify all lovers of great Bordeaux who drink it. What’s more, it also has the blue-blooded tenaciousness to remain this jaw-droppingly impressive, throughout its many guises over time, and for a very, very long time.
| XNE 1289 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1449 | |
| XNE 1290 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1449 | |
| XNE 1291 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $1449 |
OUTSTANDING - RP90 - While La Mission Haut-Brion’s 2004 is not one of this estate’s top successes, it is an outstanding wine, no doubt because of this extraordinary terroir. Deep ruby/purple with notes of lead pencil shavings intermixed with black cherries, cassis, and a hint of scorched earth, medium body, sweet tannin, and a good, but uninspiring finish, this attractive, mid-weight La Mission should age nicely for 15 or more years.
| EIO 0237 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $460 |
BEAUTIFUL - RP98 - The deep garnet-purple colored 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Youthfully mute with bright, youthful red currants, black raspberries, cassis and freshly crushed blackberries notions, it slowly unfurls to reveal an earthy/minerally undercurrent of damp soil, charcoal, iron ore and truffles plus a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, decadently fruited and yet wonderfully elegant with very ripe, very silky tannins, freshness that sits well in the background and an almost electric intensity of vibrant red and black fruit flavors, it finishes long and minerally. Just. Beautiful. Consider giving it 6-7 years in bottle before broaching and drink it over the next 30+.
| XNE 1619 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $979 | |
| XNE 1621 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $979 | |
| XNE 1620 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $979 |
POTENTIAL - RP99 - The 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of inky berry fruit, wild plums and cherries mingled with notions of warm spices, burning embers and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Powerful and tightly wound, this is less sumptuous and demonstrative out of the gates than its sibling Haut-Brion, but I suspect it possesses even greater potential.
| SIM 0001 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $600 |
PERFECT? - RP98+ - Since I gave this wine a perfect score, I suppose some could see this as a downgrade. I found everything still there for a perfect rating, but I was just struck by how tight and backward the wine was. A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years. Tasted next to a 1996 several days after the 2000 tasting, the 1996, which is a perfect wine, was far closer to full maturity than the 2000.
| BRA 0003 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $1600 |
WOW - RP100 - The 2010 Latour is deep garnet in color, and—WOW—it erupts from the glass with powerful crème de cassis, Black Forest cake and blackberry pie scents plus intense sparks of dried roses, cigar boxes, fragrant earth and smoked meats with aniseed and crushed rocks wafts. Full-bodied, concentrated and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, it has a firm, grainy texture and lovely freshness carrying the rich, opulent fruit to an epically long finish. It is incredibly tempting to drink now, but I suspect this hedonic experience isn't a scratch on the mind-blowing, otherworldly secrets this time capsule will have to reveal given another 7-10 years in bottle and continuing over the following fifty years++.
| XNE 1450 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2999 | |
| XNE 1448 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $2999 |
SPECTACULAR - RP98 - The 2000 Léoville Las Cases takes time to unwind in the decanter and glass, but when it begins to show all its cards, the display is spectacular. Mingling aromas of dark berries and red fruits with aromas of pencil shavings, loamy soil, cedar box, bitter chocolate, dried rose petals and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, complete mid-palate that's rare in this vintage, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. An uncompromising classic, even as it closes in on its 22nd birthday, the 2000 Las Cases remains an infant in terms of evolution.
| BRA 0005 | 1 BOTTLE Slight label damage | Current Bid: $480 |
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 1578 | 1 BOTTLE Ex-cellar | Current Bid: $3824 |
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: $960 |
DEEP, UNCTUOUSLY TEXTURED - RP97 - It is hard to call Petrus a “sleeper of the vintage,” but the 2008 will merit more attention than most consumers would think. Low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare resulted in only 25,000 bottles of this beauty. A wine of great intensity (possibly the most concentrated wine of the vintage), this 100% Merlot boasts a dark purple color as well as a sweet perfume of mocha, caramel, black cherries, black currants, earth and forest floor. Deep, unctuously textured, full-bodied and pure, it will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for 25-30+ years.
| MIR 0299 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 | |
| MIR 0300 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 | |
| MIR 0301 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 | |
| MIR 0302 | 1 BOTTLE | Current Bid: $4929 |
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