Wine Advocate (94-96)

The Cockburn’s Vintage Port is sourced from their two main vineyards, Quinta dos Canais and Quinta do Vale Coelho, plus a small contribution from Quinta do Cachao de Arnozelo. Around 55% of the blend is sourced from Touriga Nacional vines in Quinta dos Canais, the remainder of the blend 30% Touriga Franca, 5% Sousao and 10% a mixture of old vines. The fruit was picked between September 8 and October 5 at Canais and between September 12 and 30 at Vale Coelho. It has a lifted bouquet with raisin, fresh dates and some lovely tobacco and sandalwood aromas that lend the aromatic profile complexity, although it feels rather compact at the moment. The palate is very well-balanced with a spicy, black pepper-tinged opening and very good structure. There is wonderful focus here, with a refined, clove-tinged finish and a long, spicy aftertaste so you do not forget it in a hurry. The 2011 Cockburn harks back to those classics of yesteryear. Cockburn’s is back. Tasted May 2013.

James Suckling (99)

This shows fantastic graphite and dark-berry character with black-stone undertones and hints of dried roses. Full-bodied and very tight and precise. Good kick in the end. Love the polished tannins, which are totally folded into the wine. Reminds me of the 1947 Cockburn. Try in 2024.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2018 Vintage Port Quinta da Roeda is a field blend aged for approximately 18 months in very large used wooden vats. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Ripe and expressive, this delicious single-quinta Porto also has fine concentration and some pop on the finish. Indeed, as this sits and airs out, it proves it has a real backbone. Two days later, it was pretty tight. This is more about fruit than structure, though, and this sexy, nuanced and succulent Port is going to be hard to resist as it ages. Likely to be accessible on the younger side, it should still hold very well. I need to see a bit more to be fully convinced, but right now this seems like the steal and sleeper of the Fladgate Partnership trio this issue (the Fonseca and Taylor's being the others). For the moment—and young Ports do change notably as they age—this would be my favorite of the trio. The price references a full bottle, although this was tasted from a half bottle.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend originally seen about a week before bottling. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Not a lot has changed except that it seems even more approachable and much better balanced now. It also seems drier than its statistics would suggest. Tight and intense on first taste, this comes around relatively well with a couple of hours of air on the first day tasted, but it isn't expressive until a couple of days later. The initial firmness moderates to some extent, showcasing a relatively approachable young Port. (That doesn't mean it is ready or close to it.) The concentration seems good enough now, so that the hints of alcohol that I saw in June—and again this time around when this was in its first 90 minutes of aeration—seem under much better control. The balance is just more appealing. It shows beautifully with a couple of days of air. As with all Ports of any quality, this could use some time. This is gripping, but it won't sear your mouth with tannins. You are going to have to cellar it awhile to allow it to acquire more complexity and more harmony, though. This is showing more promise than ever.

Richard Mayson (19)

Croft has developed its own rather ripe, voluptuous and rather jammy style in recent years, distinguishing the wine from the firmer, perhaps more challenging character of Fonseca and Taylor. Perhaps 2017 has been kind to Quinta da Roêda which provides the ‘cornerstone’ of this Port: surprisingly closed on the nose with plump juicy fruit underlying, ripe plums and cherries; similarly plump and voluptuous initially with a wonderfully ripe, broad tannic core rising in the mouth, dense and rather gorgeous all the way through to a fresh, vibrant finish. This has it all and maybe the wine of the vintage.

Wine Advocate (92-95)

The 2011 Croft is initially taciturn on the nose, even after allowing it 20 minutes in my glass. A light swirling immediately awakens the aromatics to offer blackberry, Seville orange marmalade, blueberries and dried fig – complex and quite compelling. There is real mineralite within this bouquet that, returning after 30 minutes, offers alluring ocean spray scents rolling in off the ocean. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth opening that belies the fine, structured tannins underneath. It clams up a little towards the finish, shuts the lid tight and consequently there is the sensation of less persistency here compared to the Taylor’s or Fonseca. But Croft has a knack of filling out with bottle age and becomes both gentle and generous with the passing years. Tasted May 2013.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend originally seen about a week before bottling. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Not a lot has changed except that it seems even more approachable and much better balanced now. It also seems drier than its statistics would suggest. Tight and intense on first taste, this comes around relatively well with a couple of hours of air on the first day tasted, but it isn't expressive until a couple of days later. The initial firmness moderates to some extent, showcasing a relatively approachable young Port. (That doesn't mean it is ready or close to it.) The concentration seems good enough now, so that the hints of alcohol that I saw in June—and again this time around when this was in its first 90 minutes of aeration—seem under much better control. The balance is just more appealing. It shows beautifully with a couple of days of air. As with all Ports of any quality, this could use some time. This is gripping, but it won't sear your mouth with tannins. You are going to have to cellar it awhile to allow it to acquire more complexity and more harmony, though. This is showing more promise than ever.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Clay Shales is made with fruit purchased from a vineyard in the central part of the Hemelen-Aarde Ridge. Fermented with native yeasts in older wood, it's a nicely worked style with lots of layers and understated power, mixing flavours of oatmeal, toffee fudge and fresh citrus zing. Structured and intense.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Cuvée Cinéma is sourced from the top end of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley from a clay- shales vineyard planted in 2009. The stems were unusually mature in 2019, so Peter-Allan Finlayson added 70% whole bunches. The result is sappy, spicy and quite dense, with effortless concentration, black cherry and plum fruit, sinewy tannins and good ageing potential. 2022-29

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Part of a brilliant line up of Pinot Noirs from Crystallum in 2020, this is a wine with evident tannin and extraction - more Nuits-St-Georges than Chambolle-Musigny perhaps - with plenty of grip, dark cherry and raspberry fruit, subtle 20% new wood and added complexity from 40% whole bunches.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Jacob's Vineyard on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge - also the source of Crystallum's Clay Shales Chardonnay - supplies the grapes for Cuvée Cinéma, which sits mid-way between Bona Fide and Mabalel in style. Perfumed, intense and grippy, with orange zest, cranberry and forest floor notes and well-handled 20% new oak.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Bona Fide comes from the Vrede vineyard, which also supplies fruit for Hannes Storm's top Pinot Noir. There was no 2019 release, but this is a roaring return to form: a medium-weight red with a haunting combination of perfume and structure. Complete, layered and nuanced with 50% whole bunch spices and layers of plum and summer berry fruit, 2023-28

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Bona Fide comes from the lower, clay-rich part of the Vrede Vineyard in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a site that produces two of the Cape's best Pinot Noirs. Brooding, herbal and earthy, with notes of tobacco leaf and forest floor, dense plum and dark cherry fruit and some clove spice from 70% whole bunches.

A slightly more savoury and distinctly Burgundian expression featuring enhanced earthiness from cloves and tree bark. The red fruits are here in abundance, most notably wild strawberries and rhubarb, while there is a red apple skin quality to the tannins. The finish is all crushed mulberries and salted cherries, adding a moreish finish, which makes the wine dangerously drinkable in spite of its ageing potential.

Revel in the sublime decadence of the Dalmore Highland Single Malt 25YO NV, a sterling representation of Scottish craftsmanship. As an expert whisky distillery with nearly 200 years' practice, the house of Dalmore marries the ancient art of whisky-making with contemporary techniques, resulting in its outstanding Highland single malt scotch whisky.

Distilled in the verdant Scottish Highlands, the Dalmore Highland Single Malt 25YO NV is aged in a trinity of wooden casks - American white oak, bespoke Matusalem sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass, and port pipes. Its maturation process confers unparalleled complexity, depth, and consistency. Savour this dramatically rich and robust delight, boasting exquisite layers of caramelised passionfruit, tangy citrus and aromatic spices enveloped in a warm, chocolate finish.

Highlighted by critics globally, the Dalmore Highland Single Malt 25YO NV whisky is a marriage of distinctive luxury It's not simply a drink; it's an immersive experience reserved for the seasoned palate.

Immerse yourself in the luxury of the Dalwhinnie Speyside Highland Single Malt Special Release 30YO Bottled 2020 1989, boasting a heritage steeped in Scottish tradition. This fine malt is synonymous with the Dalwhinnie distillery, nestled within the ruggedness of Scotland's highest and coldest malt distillery. The charm of Speyside makes its presence known in the spirit's character, with tones reminiscent of heather honey, citrus fruits and a hint of wood smoke.

This single malt whisky is a testament to three decades of meticulous craftsmanship. Each bottle is the reflection of the tranquillity and purity of Speyside, matured in refill hogsheads and butts. The authenticity of the Dalwhinnie Speyside Highland Single Malt Special Release 30YO Bottled 2020 1989 is indisputable - each limited-edition bottle a unique story portraying an era that dates back to 1989. An exemplar of perfected whisky craft, it's a bottled testament to Dalwhinnie's commitment to quality and sophistication.

Savour the elegance of the Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2014, an epitome of grandeur in Pinot Noir. Crafted with creativity in the slate-rich vineyards of Mosel, Germany, its luxurious character is deeply rooted in the unique minerality of its terroir. Vinified with utmost precision, care, and minimal intervention by the avant-garde winemaker himself, Daniel Twardowski, this wine embodies old-world finesse with a contemporary spin.

The grapes are hand-selected and processed to retain purity. The result? An elixir that exhibits captivating depth, vibrant acidity and sumptuous berry flavours. Its velvety texture and the pleasing finish is a testament to its ultra-long fermentation period. The Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2014 gracefully unfolds on the palate, promising an immersive tasting experience.

Store it correctly, and its beauty enhances over time, mirroring the master vineyard's passion for perfection. Choose this exquisite wine for an absolute fine-dining indulgence.

Distinguished and fragrant, the Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2018 is produced from the revered slopes of the renowned German winemaker's vineyards. Born from meticulous precision and passion, the hand-harvested Pinot Noir grapes deliver a nobility that reflects the terroir with a clear varietal expression. Its extraordinary aging potential makes it an esteemed collector's choice.

Fermented in French oak barrels, this limited-production wine captures a remarkable freshness layered with mature depth. The balanced acidity and body are gracefully enveloped in textural complexity, with a minerally balance exuding from its slate-imbued backdrop.

Daniel Twardowski, a vintner with an unquenchable thirst for creating perfection, combines traditional wine-making techniques with innovative, sensitive cultivation. Every bottle that leaves his estate encapsulates a world of excellence, offering charm and vivacity reflected in every glass of Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2018.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2019 Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Auslese (Gold Capsule) is clear, piquant and spicy on the coolish, earthy and darker-toned nose compared to both Goldgrube Auslesen. Cumquat and orange notes emerge after a while in the glass, indicating a certain percentage of perfect botrytis. The palate is round and intense yet weightless and very elegant, with a crystalline, beautifully seamless texture and salty-piquant and nervy mineral acidity. In fact, this is a great synthesis between the two sweet Goldgrube selections since it paints the finesse of the regular Wolfgrube with the intensity and richness of the gold-capsuled Auslese. 8.5% alcohol. Tasted from AP 06/20 in June 2020.

Vinous (92)

The 2017 Aristargos is a blend of several white varieties from 14 different vineyards that includes Marsanne for the first time. It is whole-bunch-pressed, with the Sémillon kept on its skins for a few days and then matured in 300-liter used barrels for 12 months. It has a vivacious bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle and jasmine aromas, all wonderfully defined. The palate is well balanced with a waxy texture and notes of stone fruit, sesame, walnut and orange peel . A very subtle flor-like element lends tension on finish. Superb.