Selection with Condition Photos
At Cru World Wine, we understand that bottle condition is crucial when it comes to purchasing wine, especially when buying back vintage wines. That's why we've created our "Selection with Condition Photos" page - a curated selection of wines that includes detailed photos of each bottle, so you can make an informed decision before making a purchase. Our photos show the condition of the bottle, including any signs of wear or damage, giving you the confidence to make an informed purchase decision.
Selection with Condition Photos
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Blair Athol is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, tracing its foundation back to 1798 when it was originally set up as the Aldour Distillery, in reference to its water source, the Allt Dour - or Burn of the Otter. Located on the outskirts of the Victorian spa town of Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire, Blair Athol, along with neighbouring Edradour are two of the final vestiges of Perthshire's long lost farm distilleries.
In addition to its proud heritage, Blair Athol is also one of the most visually striking distilleries with many of the original buildings as well as an impressive dunnage where the finest casks slumber patiently waiting to be bottled. Only two official bottlings have ever hit the market; the standard, heavily sherried 12 year old and a limited edition 23 which shows the longevity of Blair Athol's spirit.
A key component of the Bell's blend of whiskies, Blair Athol is praised for its fruit-driven style with subtle earthy - not smokey - peat influence courtesy of the ancient moorlands over which its water flows. A mellow malt; the quintessential old highland gentleman, Blair Athol has as much of a bright future as it does a storied past. It is only a matter of time before the reputation of this much loved distillery catches up with the ineffable quality of their whisky.
Inc. GSTSG$22,290.45 -
Vinous (96)
The 2016 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has a generous and pleasing nose with scents of strawberry preserve, crushed stone, rose petals and subtle orange-blossom. This is refined and transparent. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins. Beautifully balanced, this has a symmetry that is beguiling and classic. A little austere finish suggests it will benefit from several years in bottle. Utterly beguiling with enormous ageing potential. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.Inc. GSTSG$4,007.36 -
James Suckling (99)
Aromas of blackberries, cherries, violets and bark with mahogany. It’s full-bodied and chewy with intense tannins that are layered and focused. The fruit is pure and purposeful, yet not over done. Wonderful strength and purity to this. Class is the word. Try it after 2024.Inc. GSTSG$956.39 -
Wine Advocate (99)
At the top of the pyramid is the 2005 Syrah Astralis Vineyard. It is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1920 and is one of the Syrah cuvees in which 100% new oak is utilized (along with Brookman, Hickinbotham, and Piggott Range). It delivers an ethereal bouquet of smoky oak, violets, espresso, black pepper, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Densely packed and tightly wound, all it needs is time. The wine is totally harmonious, impeccably balanced, and exceptionally long. When it fully unwinds, even my high rating will appear conservative. Its only competition comes from the likes of Guigal, Chapoutier, Chave, Krankl, and Ringland.Inc. GSTSG$2,079.09 -
Vinous (92)
The 2010 Chambolle-Musigny is fantastic. It boasts incredible aromatic complexity, gorgeous textural finesse and seemingly endless layers of fruit. Suave yet firm tannins support the fruit through to the highly attractive, delineated finish. This is a great way to start a survey of the domaine's 2010s.Inc. GSTSG$4,743.11 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!Inc. GSTSG$1,364.11 -
Wine Advocate (100)
It's an historical wine, a one-off, semi-sweet white produced at the end of the Spanish Civil War, a wine impossible to replicate, fruit of impossible circumstances, a wine I've had the luck to drink and share with many people on a number of occasions and which never fails to impress everyone. The perfect 1939 CVNE Rioja Blanco Semi Dulce Corona is a mythical wine! 1939 saw the end of Spain's Civil War, and the country was upside down. There were some major battles fought in Rioja, and by the time they had to harvest the grapes, there were not enough men in the village. They must have focused on the best parcels, surely giving priority to red grapes. Some vineyards were overlooked, as happened with the whites that eventually produced this wine. These grapes were harvested extremely late, into November, close to December and their health was not optimal, they had developed some botrytis and were clearly rotten. The people in charge of making the wine surely didn't know about botrytis cynerea, or noble rot, and were surely afraid their grapes were rotten and they would not be able to produce any decent white. So they did the best they could, but the fermentation never finished completely and there was some residual sugar in the wine. So, as they did with all their wines, they put it in oak barrels to mature and kind of put it in a corner hoping nobody would notice its shortcomings. We have to realize that CVNE was already producing quite a lot of wine at the time, so it's not unusual to have a few stray barrels here or there that nobody pays attention to. What is not that normal is that the wine was REALLY forgotten and was "found" during a stock take for an audit in 1970! So the wine aged slowly in barrel for some 30 years! Once found, nobody saw any reason to keep the wine in barrel any longer, so they decided to bottle it. Not knowing quite what to do with it, the bottles were stacked somewhere and the same story was repeated, as the stash was forgotten and basically untouched until thirty something years later: thanks to the daughter of one of the family owners (the winery is still in the hand of the same family that created it back in 1879). The proud father had a vague idea about a somewhat sweet wine that could be served at his daughter's wedding and asked to get some bottles to taste. They uncorked it, tasted it and found a complex, subtle white with great balance between alcohol, acidity and a little bit of residual sugar (around 20 grams), which took the edge off the acidity and made the wine rounder, as old Viura can be too austere. The slow aging, first in an oxidative way during the years in oak provided some nuttiness, and spicy aromas, while the botrytis added some of those dry apricot, beeswax and pollen notes, hinting on honey, but also the long reductive period in bottle made it very elegant and polished, with infinite nuances of white pepper, quince, faint smoke, walnuts, petrol...This redefines complexity, elegance and slow aging. The palate is prodigious, with a gobsmacking (literally!) balance, pungent flavors, freshness, acidity, very faint sweetness and length like only something which has slowly evolved over 70 years can be. The aftertaste should not be measured in seconds, but in minutes, and the empty glass keeps changing and giving different tones for hours. If you leave a little bit in the bottle for the day after (yes, it's difficult, I know!) the wine is even better on the second day. There is no reason to believe that if the wine is as good as it is today it is not going to reach its one-hundredth birthday. The wine is mainly Viura, but there might have been a little bit of the white Garnacha Blanca in the blend. At this stage nobody really knows (or cares). This is simply otherworldly, superb, perfect wine, whose only improvement would come if they had bottled some magnums! A dream. A unique, historical wine. If there is a perfect white Rioja, this is surely it. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2039.Inc. GSTSG$1,775.15 -
Espérance de Trotanoy is the second wine of Château Trotanoy. This Merlot-dominated wine is made from vines averaging 35 years. Espérance de Trotanoy is made from the same vines, same wine-making team and same facilities as the first wine. It is produced in very limited quantities and only in exceptional years. It is vinified in small concrete vats and aged in French oak barrels.
This 2016 has a darkly berried, gently leafy nose, with pure violet aromatics. The palate is textured, with dried-earth minerality, lifted by arching acidity, which makes this hugely approachable and perhaps offers a glimpse into the character of Trotanoy 2016 itself in years to come. There is more than enough ageing potential and tannic rigour here to see this through a decade and more.Inc. GSTSG$715.53 -
Vinous (90-92)
Light red. Sexy, fragrant scents of Moroccan spices, dried strawberry, raspberry and minerals, plus a whiff of cherry skin. Very sexy, sweet red fruit flavors are perked up by blood orange and smoky minerals, with dusty tannins adding support. Impressively pure and focused wine with excellent finishing clarity and a whiplash of cinnamon. This reminded me of a high-end Pernand-Vergelesses.Inc. GSTSG$773.07 -
James Suckling (96)
A powerful yet balanced red with glorious dark fruits, sweet tobacco, dark mushroom and flowers. Full body, chewy and rich tannins and a long and powerful finish. Drink in 2019 but already a star.Inc. GSTSG$417.97 -
The Glenglassaugh distillery is one of the great success stories of the 21st century in Scotch Whisky though the roots of the distillery’s success go back much further than its current period of operation.
Founded in 1875 by James Moir, a local grocer in the nearby town of Portsoy, the idea was to supplement his burgeoning business with proprietary whisky that met the highest quality standards of the day. Situated on a site to the west of town to take advantage of a superb water source; the pure Glassaugh Springs, the distillery lies just out with the boundaries of Speyside, making this a Highland malt, though one very much in the Speyside style.
The operation was a tremendous success heading into the whisky boom of the Victorian era and within twenty years the distillery was snapped up by Highland Distillers, the forerunner of the Edrington Group (Macallan & Highland Park). The 1900s saw the expansion and reconstruction of the distillery as it began to supply malt for the likes of Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse.
After the complicated problems of the 1980s and a 23-year stretch mothballed, Glenglassaugh was purchased by new owners, reopened and began releasing pre-1986 stock as limited edition single malts, winning numerous awards in the process and placing the distillery firmly in the spotlight as a high-quality, craft producer. Since the distillery’s acquisition by Brown-Forman it has benefitted from the same treatment as legendary stablemates BenRiach and GlenDronach.
Cask Note
This 2014 Refill Hogshead is an excellent long term proposition with excellent upside given the increasingly prominent reputation of the distillery. Glenglassaugh has made a name for itself in recent years with distinctive cask finishes; including wine and sherry, so this relatively understated wood type will do well to see it through the initial, most lengthy period of ageing but will easily lend itself to re-racking into more active wood further down the line.Inc. GSTSG$24,132.55 -
Inc. GSTSG$16,110.15 -
(Hogshead) 2021The Holyrood Distillery is the first malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in nearly 100 years and its founding comes amidst a truly exciting time for the whisky industry in Scotland. With an innovative and ambitious spirit sweeping the country buttressed by steadily growing global demand for the world’s most famous distillate, Scotch whisky has been reinvigorated by new start-ups and micro distillers placing the ancestral homeland of whisky back at the forefront of this global industry.
Founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson, it is in many ways remarkable that Holyrood is the first malt distillery for so long to make a home in Edinburgh (Glenkinchie is well out of town in Pencaitland and North British is single grain only). The city has a long and proud history of brewing and distilling (legal and otherwise) and the city’s natural underground water supply is known through history as “the Charmed Circle” for its purity and abundance.
The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.
Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference being that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
Inc. GSTSG$12,208.00 -
The Holyrood Distillery is the first malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in nearly 100 years and its founding comes amidst a truly exciting time for the whisky industry in Scotland. With an innovative and ambitious spirit sweeping the country buttressed by steadily growing global demand for the world’s most famous distillate, Scotch whisky has been reinvigorated by new start-ups and micro distillers placing the ancestral homeland of whisky back at the forefront of this global industry.
Founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson, it is in many ways remarkable that Holyrood is the first malt distillery for so long to make a home in Edinburgh (Glenkinchie is well out of town in Pencaitland and North British is single grain only). The city has a long and proud history of brewing and distilling (legal and otherwise) and the city’s natural underground water supply is known through history as “the Charmed Circle” for its purity and abundance.
The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.
Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference being that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
Inc. GSTSG$12,208.00 -
(Hogshead) 2021The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.
Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference is that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
Inc. GSTSG$12,208.00 -
Vinous (98)
A beguiling mix of camphor and minty herbs, along with crushed stone, blows off slowly to reveal dark depths of black raspberry, licorice, autumnal spice and worn leather as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli unfolds in the glass. Its textures are unexpectedly soft and velvety-smooth, coupled with depths of intense red fruits that make an appearance just before a mix of brisk acids and tannins creates a more tactile and youthfully clenching expression toward the finale. This leaves the palate aching under the 2016’s structural heft, yet with plenty of primary concentration to balance, as wild savory herbs and earthy mineral tones linger for up to a minute. The potential here is off the charts, but readers will need to be very patient. The Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a cru selection of old vines that refines for 48 months in large French oak barrels of 33–52 hectoliters.Inc. GSTSG$805.95 -
(Hogshead) 2019
If you’ve ever seen a postcard of a Scottish fishing village, chances are it was Tobermory. The iconic village on the cost of the fabled Isle of Mull, is known for its colourful waterfront and picturesque fleet of fishing and pleasure craft in its ancient harbour.
The village and the isle is picturesque for sure and has a rich history of sunken Spanish treasure, Viking raiders and some of the earliest Gaelic-speaking arrivals to Scotland. It is only fitting that one of the most beloved distilleries in the country is located here; the eponymous Tobermory Distillery.
Best known for their gentle Island spirit, closers in style to Scapa and lighter Northern Islay malts, Tobermory is a gloriously pleasurable whisky, highly sought after by collectors and with a dedicated core of devotees. On the cask market, it proves as elusive as the galleon's treasure in Tobermory Bay.Inc. GSTSG$12,916.45 -
Vinous (92+)
I must admit, Krug's 2000 Clos d'Ambonnay remains a mystery. The first bottle I tasted, in March, at Krug, was utterly spectacular. Rich, creamy and ample on the palate, the 2000 was captivating from start to finish. Two thousand is the first vintage made entirely by current Chef de Caves Eric Lebel. My impression at the time was that Lebel had given his Ambonnay softer, gentler contours than the 1995, 1996 and 1998, all which were much more austere when first released. But then I tasted the 2000 several times in the US, where it has so far been less impressive. I am hoping issues with shipping for a handful of samples will turn out to be the root cause, and that the 'real' Ambonnay will be closer to what I tasted at Krug in March. If that turns out to be the case the 2000 will be due for a major upgrade.Inc. GSTSG$5,458.99 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (99)
The 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion was stunning from barrel, and now in bottle. It has a sublime bouquet of blackberries, briar and hints of dark chocolate and rose petals that gain intensity with aeration while maintaining ethereal delineation. It never steps on the accelerator too hard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is still a veneer of new oak that will need to be assimilated over the coming years. This is a deep La Mission that caresses the mouth. Touches of graphite lingering on a finish that fans out gloriously. Is the 2016 up there with the 1955 or 1989? Nearly.Inc. GSTSG$3,602.93 -
Wine Advocate (99)
A hot, dry August produced very concentrated grapes in 1996. However, it turned a bit rainy in mid-September through early October, making the vintage less consistent on the Right Bank and in Graves. But as the weather turned glorious from early October on, it was an amazing year for later-harvested Cabernet in the Médoc. There was new ownership at Latour by this time, and a new vat room was completed just prior to the harvest this year. The 1996 Latour is medium to deep garnet in color with a profound earthy, meaty, gamey nose with hints of blueberry preserves, crème de cassis and pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and packed with muscular fruit, with a firm, ripe, grainy backbone and epically long finish. Showing much more youthfully than the 2000 tasted on the same day and still possessing bags of youthful fruit in the mid-palate, this beauty is going to go on and on!Inc. GSTSG$13,187.91 -
Wine Enthusiast (93)
92-94 Barrel sample. A wine obviously for aging, with its severe tannins and very mineral character. It is dark, brooding, solidly ripe and powerful, with a great waft of final juiciness.Inc. GSTSG$1,080.06 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97-99+)
The vivid purple, almost blue-hued 2019 Château Léoville Barton is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine that includes 16% Merlot. It will spend 18 months in a mix of new and used barrels. Classic Barton notes of cassis, scorched earth, burning embers, new leather, and violets emerge from the glass, and this beauty is full-bodied, massively concentrated, and structured on the palate, yet it has a beautiful elegance as well as a plushness in its texture. Nevertheless, it's not for those seeking instant gratification and is going to need 10-15 years of bottle age to hit maturity. It reminds me of the 1990 and is a great, great wine in the making. If you love Léoville Barton, don't miss this wine!Inc. GSTSG$861.58 -
Decanter (95)
The colour is starting to take on the brick-edged ruby that fully mature Bordeaux reaches and retains for decades in the best cases. Freshness is still very much in play, along with tobacco, cigar box and eucalyptus. 1996 was a brilliant vintage in the Médoc and it shows. This is a near perfect 20-year-old Bordeaux; there is the generous signature of Léoville Poyferré wine but at this point St-Julien balance and finesse has taken over, just relax and enjoy the results.Inc. GSTSG$2,024.35 -
Inc. GSTSG$7,203.35
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.Inc. GSTSG$1,706.77 -
Wine Spectator (98)
Wine of the vintage. Massive, with exuberant aromas of cassis, lead pencil and fruit which follow through on the palate. Full-bodied and incredibly velvety. Long, long finish. Try after 1998.--The Bordeaux 50. -JSInc. GSTSG$6,226.90 -
Wine Enthusiast (97)
#23 in top 100 wines of 2015 This is a beautifully opulent wine, great Mouton in its richness and succulent fruits. It's combines structure and obvious new-wood aging with hugely ripe black plum and currant flavors. While it is a pleasure to taste now, there is a great tannic structure in the background to give the sense of power and aging potential. Drink from 2024.Inc. GSTSG$935.85 -
Inc. GSTSG$336.35
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Wine Advocate (97)
Containing just a dollop of 4.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Grange is about 85%+ Barossa fruit with the remaining proportions coming from McLaren vale and Coonawarra. It was aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. The nose begins a bit animal with some smoked game, mincemeat and bacon notes emerging over the freshly crushed, sun-warmed blackberries, black currant cordial, earth, black truffles, anise and allspice. Rich and full with very firm very fine tannins and very crisp acid, it gives a long finish layered with coffee, mincemeat and toast. Drink it 2013 to 2025+.Inc. GSTSG$4,368.09 -
James Suckling (99)
Insane aromas of lavender, blackberries, wet earth and ripe yet fresh fruit. Full body with very deep fruit, pine needles and hints of chocolate and cedar. Very long and wonderfully polished. This has wonderful depth and focus. Release in 2021. Better after 2024.Inc. GSTSG$4,064.29
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Blair Athol is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, tracing its foundation back to 1798 when it was originally set up as the Aldour Distillery, in reference to its water source, the Allt Dour - or Burn of the Otter. Located on the outskirts of the Victorian spa town of Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire, Blair Athol, along with neighbouring Edradour are two of the final vestiges of Perthshire's long lost farm distilleries.
In addition to its proud heritage, Blair Athol is also one of the most visually striking distilleries with many of the original buildings as well as an impressive dunnage where the finest casks slumber patiently waiting to be bottled. Only two official bottlings have ever hit the market; the standard, heavily sherried 12 year old and a limited edition 23 which shows the longevity of Blair Athol's spirit.
A key component of the Bell's blend of whiskies, Blair Athol is praised for its fruit-driven style with subtle earthy - not smokey - peat influence courtesy of the ancient moorlands over which its water flows. A mellow malt; the quintessential old highland gentleman, Blair Athol has as much of a bright future as it does a storied past. It is only a matter of time before the reputation of this much loved distillery catches up with the ineffable quality of their whisky.
In BondSG$15,170.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2016 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has a generous and pleasing nose with scents of strawberry preserve, crushed stone, rose petals and subtle orange-blossom. This is refined and transparent. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins. Beautifully balanced, this has a symmetry that is beguiling and classic. A little austere finish suggests it will benefit from several years in bottle. Utterly beguiling with enormous ageing potential. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.In BondSG$3,625.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Aromas of blackberries, cherries, violets and bark with mahogany. It’s full-bodied and chewy with intense tannins that are layered and focused. The fruit is pure and purposeful, yet not over done. Wonderful strength and purity to this. Class is the word. Try it after 2024.In BondSG$820.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
At the top of the pyramid is the 2005 Syrah Astralis Vineyard. It is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1920 and is one of the Syrah cuvees in which 100% new oak is utilized (along with Brookman, Hickinbotham, and Piggott Range). It delivers an ethereal bouquet of smoky oak, violets, espresso, black pepper, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Densely packed and tightly wound, all it needs is time. The wine is totally harmonious, impeccably balanced, and exceptionally long. When it fully unwinds, even my high rating will appear conservative. Its only competition comes from the likes of Guigal, Chapoutier, Chave, Krankl, and Ringland.In BondSG$1,850.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2010 Chambolle-Musigny is fantastic. It boasts incredible aromatic complexity, gorgeous textural finesse and seemingly endless layers of fruit. Suave yet firm tannins support the fruit through to the highly attractive, delineated finish. This is a great way to start a survey of the domaine's 2010s.In BondSG$4,300.00 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!In BondSG$1,200.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
It's an historical wine, a one-off, semi-sweet white produced at the end of the Spanish Civil War, a wine impossible to replicate, fruit of impossible circumstances, a wine I've had the luck to drink and share with many people on a number of occasions and which never fails to impress everyone. The perfect 1939 CVNE Rioja Blanco Semi Dulce Corona is a mythical wine! 1939 saw the end of Spain's Civil War, and the country was upside down. There were some major battles fought in Rioja, and by the time they had to harvest the grapes, there were not enough men in the village. They must have focused on the best parcels, surely giving priority to red grapes. Some vineyards were overlooked, as happened with the whites that eventually produced this wine. These grapes were harvested extremely late, into November, close to December and their health was not optimal, they had developed some botrytis and were clearly rotten. The people in charge of making the wine surely didn't know about botrytis cynerea, or noble rot, and were surely afraid their grapes were rotten and they would not be able to produce any decent white. So they did the best they could, but the fermentation never finished completely and there was some residual sugar in the wine. So, as they did with all their wines, they put it in oak barrels to mature and kind of put it in a corner hoping nobody would notice its shortcomings. We have to realize that CVNE was already producing quite a lot of wine at the time, so it's not unusual to have a few stray barrels here or there that nobody pays attention to. What is not that normal is that the wine was REALLY forgotten and was "found" during a stock take for an audit in 1970! So the wine aged slowly in barrel for some 30 years! Once found, nobody saw any reason to keep the wine in barrel any longer, so they decided to bottle it. Not knowing quite what to do with it, the bottles were stacked somewhere and the same story was repeated, as the stash was forgotten and basically untouched until thirty something years later: thanks to the daughter of one of the family owners (the winery is still in the hand of the same family that created it back in 1879). The proud father had a vague idea about a somewhat sweet wine that could be served at his daughter's wedding and asked to get some bottles to taste. They uncorked it, tasted it and found a complex, subtle white with great balance between alcohol, acidity and a little bit of residual sugar (around 20 grams), which took the edge off the acidity and made the wine rounder, as old Viura can be too austere. The slow aging, first in an oxidative way during the years in oak provided some nuttiness, and spicy aromas, while the botrytis added some of those dry apricot, beeswax and pollen notes, hinting on honey, but also the long reductive period in bottle made it very elegant and polished, with infinite nuances of white pepper, quince, faint smoke, walnuts, petrol...This redefines complexity, elegance and slow aging. The palate is prodigious, with a gobsmacking (literally!) balance, pungent flavors, freshness, acidity, very faint sweetness and length like only something which has slowly evolved over 70 years can be. The aftertaste should not be measured in seconds, but in minutes, and the empty glass keeps changing and giving different tones for hours. If you leave a little bit in the bottle for the day after (yes, it's difficult, I know!) the wine is even better on the second day. There is no reason to believe that if the wine is as good as it is today it is not going to reach its one-hundredth birthday. The wine is mainly Viura, but there might have been a little bit of the white Garnacha Blanca in the blend. At this stage nobody really knows (or cares). This is simply otherworldly, superb, perfect wine, whose only improvement would come if they had bottled some magnums! A dream. A unique, historical wine. If there is a perfect white Rioja, this is surely it. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2039.In BondSG$1,620.00 -
Espérance de Trotanoy is the second wine of Château Trotanoy. This Merlot-dominated wine is made from vines averaging 35 years. Espérance de Trotanoy is made from the same vines, same wine-making team and same facilities as the first wine. It is produced in very limited quantities and only in exceptional years. It is vinified in small concrete vats and aged in French oak barrels.
This 2016 has a darkly berried, gently leafy nose, with pure violet aromatics. The palate is textured, with dried-earth minerality, lifted by arching acidity, which makes this hugely approachable and perhaps offers a glimpse into the character of Trotanoy 2016 itself in years to come. There is more than enough ageing potential and tannic rigour here to see this through a decade and more.In BondSG$601.01 -
Vinous (90-92)
Light red. Sexy, fragrant scents of Moroccan spices, dried strawberry, raspberry and minerals, plus a whiff of cherry skin. Very sexy, sweet red fruit flavors are perked up by blood orange and smoky minerals, with dusty tannins adding support. Impressively pure and focused wine with excellent finishing clarity and a whiplash of cinnamon. This reminded me of a high-end Pernand-Vergelesses.In BondSG$700.00 -
James Suckling (96)
A powerful yet balanced red with glorious dark fruits, sweet tobacco, dark mushroom and flowers. Full body, chewy and rich tannins and a long and powerful finish. Drink in 2019 but already a star.In BondSG$330.00 -
The Glenglassaugh distillery is one of the great success stories of the 21st century in Scotch Whisky though the roots of the distillery’s success go back much further than its current period of operation.
Founded in 1875 by James Moir, a local grocer in the nearby town of Portsoy, the idea was to supplement his burgeoning business with proprietary whisky that met the highest quality standards of the day. Situated on a site to the west of town to take advantage of a superb water source; the pure Glassaugh Springs, the distillery lies just out with the boundaries of Speyside, making this a Highland malt, though one very much in the Speyside style.
The operation was a tremendous success heading into the whisky boom of the Victorian era and within twenty years the distillery was snapped up by Highland Distillers, the forerunner of the Edrington Group (Macallan & Highland Park). The 1900s saw the expansion and reconstruction of the distillery as it began to supply malt for the likes of Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse.
After the complicated problems of the 1980s and a 23-year stretch mothballed, Glenglassaugh was purchased by new owners, reopened and began releasing pre-1986 stock as limited edition single malts, winning numerous awards in the process and placing the distillery firmly in the spotlight as a high-quality, craft producer. Since the distillery’s acquisition by Brown-Forman it has benefitted from the same treatment as legendary stablemates BenRiach and GlenDronach.
Cask Note
This 2014 Refill Hogshead is an excellent long term proposition with excellent upside given the increasingly prominent reputation of the distillery. Glenglassaugh has made a name for itself in recent years with distinctive cask finishes; including wine and sherry, so this relatively understated wood type will do well to see it through the initial, most lengthy period of ageing but will easily lend itself to re-racking into more active wood further down the line.In BondSG$16,860.00 -
In BondSG$9,500.00
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(Hogshead) 2021
The Holyrood Distillery is the first malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in nearly 100 years and its founding comes amidst a truly exciting time for the whisky industry in Scotland. With an innovative and ambitious spirit sweeping the country buttressed by steadily growing global demand for the world’s most famous distillate, Scotch whisky has been reinvigorated by new start-ups and micro distillers placing the ancestral homeland of whisky back at the forefront of this global industry.
Founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson, it is in many ways remarkable that Holyrood is the first malt distillery for so long to make a home in Edinburgh (Glenkinchie is well out of town in Pencaitland and North British is single grain only). The city has a long and proud history of brewing and distilling (legal and otherwise) and the city’s natural underground water supply is known through history as “the Charmed Circle” for its purity and abundance.
The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.
Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference being that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
In BondSG$11,200.00 -
The Holyrood Distillery is the first malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in nearly 100 years and its founding comes amidst a truly exciting time for the whisky industry in Scotland. With an innovative and ambitious spirit sweeping the country buttressed by steadily growing global demand for the world’s most famous distillate, Scotch whisky has been reinvigorated by new start-ups and micro distillers placing the ancestral homeland of whisky back at the forefront of this global industry.
Founded by Canadians Rob & Kelly Carpenter and Scot David Robertson, it is in many ways remarkable that Holyrood is the first malt distillery for so long to make a home in Edinburgh (Glenkinchie is well out of town in Pencaitland and North British is single grain only). The city has a long and proud history of brewing and distilling (legal and otherwise) and the city’s natural underground water supply is known through history as “the Charmed Circle” for its purity and abundance.
The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.
Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference being that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
In BondSG$11,200.00 -
(Hogshead) 2021
The focus in this casks is the barley variety; distilled from a mash bill of 100% pure Golden Promise barley - the same type used in the distillation of The Macallan and Glengoyne single malts, and filled them into 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads (in which Golden Promise has shown excellent success at both the aforementioned distilleries) of the highest possible quality.
Filled in April of this year, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow the development of a new distillery with one of their earliest distillations. Imagine having a cask of 2001 Port Charlotte bought for under £17 IB per bottle when casks now go for £60,000-plus! The one difference is that Port Charlotte is just a sub-brand from the Bruichladdich distillery which had been running for many years already; here we have a new distillery entirely founded with a commitment to making the best possible whisky in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
In BondSG$11,200.00 -
Vinous (98)
A beguiling mix of camphor and minty herbs, along with crushed stone, blows off slowly to reveal dark depths of black raspberry, licorice, autumnal spice and worn leather as the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli unfolds in the glass. Its textures are unexpectedly soft and velvety-smooth, coupled with depths of intense red fruits that make an appearance just before a mix of brisk acids and tannins creates a more tactile and youthfully clenching expression toward the finale. This leaves the palate aching under the 2016’s structural heft, yet with plenty of primary concentration to balance, as wild savory herbs and earthy mineral tones linger for up to a minute. The potential here is off the charts, but readers will need to be very patient. The Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a cru selection of old vines that refines for 48 months in large French oak barrels of 33–52 hectoliters.In BondSG$680.00 -
(Hogshead) 2019
If you’ve ever seen a postcard of a Scottish fishing village, chances are it was Tobermory. The iconic village on the cost of the fabled Isle of Mull, is known for its colourful waterfront and picturesque fleet of fishing and pleasure craft in its ancient harbour.
The village and the isle is picturesque for sure and has a rich history of sunken Spanish treasure, Viking raiders and some of the earliest Gaelic-speaking arrivals to Scotland. It is only fitting that one of the most beloved distilleries in the country is located here; the eponymous Tobermory Distillery.
Best known for their gentle Island spirit, closers in style to Scapa and lighter Northern Islay malts, Tobermory is a gloriously pleasurable whisky, highly sought after by collectors and with a dedicated core of devotees. On the cask market, it proves as elusive as the galleon's treasure in Tobermory Bay.In BondSG$6,570.00 -
Vinous (92+)
I must admit, Krug's 2000 Clos d'Ambonnay remains a mystery. The first bottle I tasted, in March, at Krug, was utterly spectacular. Rich, creamy and ample on the palate, the 2000 was captivating from start to finish. Two thousand is the first vintage made entirely by current Chef de Caves Eric Lebel. My impression at the time was that Lebel had given his Ambonnay softer, gentler contours than the 1995, 1996 and 1998, all which were much more austere when first released. But then I tasted the 2000 several times in the US, where it has so far been less impressive. I am hoping issues with shipping for a handful of samples will turn out to be the root cause, and that the 'real' Ambonnay will be closer to what I tasted at Krug in March. If that turns out to be the case the 2000 will be due for a major upgrade.In BondSG$5,000.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (99)
The 2016 La Mission Haut-Brion was stunning from barrel, and now in bottle. It has a sublime bouquet of blackberries, briar and hints of dark chocolate and rose petals that gain intensity with aeration while maintaining ethereal delineation. It never steps on the accelerator too hard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is still a veneer of new oak that will need to be assimilated over the coming years. This is a deep La Mission that caresses the mouth. Touches of graphite lingering on a finish that fans out gloriously. Is the 2016 up there with the 1955 or 1989? Nearly.In BondSG$3,250.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
A hot, dry August produced very concentrated grapes in 1996. However, it turned a bit rainy in mid-September through early October, making the vintage less consistent on the Right Bank and in Graves. But as the weather turned glorious from early October on, it was an amazing year for later-harvested Cabernet in the Médoc. There was new ownership at Latour by this time, and a new vat room was completed just prior to the harvest this year. The 1996 Latour is medium to deep garnet in color with a profound earthy, meaty, gamey nose with hints of blueberry preserves, crème de cassis and pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and packed with muscular fruit, with a firm, ripe, grainy backbone and epically long finish. Showing much more youthfully than the 2000 tasted on the same day and still possessing bags of youthful fruit in the mid-palate, this beauty is going to go on and on!In BondSG$12,000.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (93)
92-94 Barrel sample. A wine obviously for aging, with its severe tannins and very mineral character. It is dark, brooding, solidly ripe and powerful, with a great waft of final juiciness.In BondSG$880.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97-99+)
The vivid purple, almost blue-hued 2019 Château Léoville Barton is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine that includes 16% Merlot. It will spend 18 months in a mix of new and used barrels. Classic Barton notes of cassis, scorched earth, burning embers, new leather, and violets emerge from the glass, and this beauty is full-bodied, massively concentrated, and structured on the palate, yet it has a beautiful elegance as well as a plushness in its texture. Nevertheless, it's not for those seeking instant gratification and is going to need 10-15 years of bottle age to hit maturity. It reminds me of the 1990 and is a great, great wine in the making. If you love Léoville Barton, don't miss this wine!In BondSG$735.00 -
Decanter (95)
The colour is starting to take on the brick-edged ruby that fully mature Bordeaux reaches and retains for decades in the best cases. Freshness is still very much in play, along with tobacco, cigar box and eucalyptus. 1996 was a brilliant vintage in the Médoc and it shows. This is a near perfect 20-year-old Bordeaux; there is the generous signature of Léoville Poyferré wine but at this point St-Julien balance and finesse has taken over, just relax and enjoy the results.In BondSG$1,800.00 -
In BondSG$6,600.00
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.In BondSG$1,550.00 -
Wine Spectator (98)
Wine of the vintage. Massive, with exuberant aromas of cassis, lead pencil and fruit which follow through on the palate. Full-bodied and incredibly velvety. Long, long finish. Try after 1998.--The Bordeaux 50. -JSIn BondSG$5,688.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (97)
#23 in top 100 wines of 2015 This is a beautifully opulent wine, great Mouton in its richness and succulent fruits. It's combines structure and obvious new-wood aging with hugely ripe black plum and currant flavors. While it is a pleasure to taste now, there is a great tannic structure in the background to give the sense of power and aging potential. Drink from 2024.In BondSG$850.00 -
In BondSG$300.00
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Wine Advocate (97)
Containing just a dollop of 4.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Grange is about 85%+ Barossa fruit with the remaining proportions coming from McLaren vale and Coonawarra. It was aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. The nose begins a bit animal with some smoked game, mincemeat and bacon notes emerging over the freshly crushed, sun-warmed blackberries, black currant cordial, earth, black truffles, anise and allspice. Rich and full with very firm very fine tannins and very crisp acid, it gives a long finish layered with coffee, mincemeat and toast. Drink it 2013 to 2025+.In BondSG$3,950.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Insane aromas of lavender, blackberries, wet earth and ripe yet fresh fruit. Full body with very deep fruit, pine needles and hints of chocolate and cedar. Very long and wonderfully polished. This has wonderful depth and focus. Release in 2021. Better after 2024.In BondSG$3,700.00
