Decanter (98)

Highest Scoring Wine in Decanter Wines of the Year 2020 A lovely amarone, this has all the characteristics you would hope for. Warmth on the palate, intriguing, slightly raisined fruits and restrained acidity. The sugar feels very low. Fine structure, elegant and seems much lower than the stated 16.5% alcohol. Retains a coolness on the palate which makes the wine extremely drinkable. There is a lot of disappointing amarone out there; this is a bottle to put thing to rights! An outstanding example of the genre. It’s age, complexity of flavour and alcohol – everything was beautifully balanced. Andy Howard MW Dense and concentrated nose of espresso, dates, chocolate, dried fruit and raisins, forest floor and black forest gateau on the palate. Rich, full with heavy alcohol. Long, complex and delicious. Ronan Sayburn MS Attractive aged character to this wine. Really intense dried fruit, big and rich with a long finish. Shows off the region and (Corvina) variety very well. Even though obvious, the oak is well integrated, and there is good potential to age further. Beth Willard

A single cask Islay malt matured in undersized ex-Bourbon barrels previously used to mature Bourbon whiskey at the Koval Distillery, showcasing Caol Ila’s classic oily maritime qualities with aromas of sweet, earthy peat, sea breeze and iodine alongside pungent, warming spices evoking cinnamon, cumin, smoked pepper and cardamom. A finish laced with eucalyptus and dried mint makes for a restrained, finessed Islay with a long, dynamic finish. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.1% without colouring or filtration.

The second bottling from the Stewart Whisky Company in their Stiùbhart Single Cask selection, released in March 2021 at 13 years of age in a limited run of just 132 bottles.

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.

A beautifully fruited Pinot Noir with a slightly Burgundian nose of violet, red currant and bramble, this 2015 release from Domaine Chandon is a delightfully balanced, effortless wine. Hard to beat on price as ever, you won't find many better bargains in Yarra than this one.

Colour: Full, rich dark gold.

Nose: Full, complex aromas with dried berries and sherry-infused malty tones

Palate: Sweetness akin to a fine, aged cognac with incredible oloroso depth and freshness. Fruit, nuts, marzipan and Christmas cake warming spice.

Finish: A whisky you never want to end and it almost feels as if it won't, the finish goes on forever with spice, decadent dark cocoa and forest floor. A final flourish of spiced demerara rum leaves you longing for more.

Decanter (96)

This has a burnished mahogany colour - pale and interesting with an intense nose, coffee, tertiary notes, forest floor, balsam and tree bark. On the palate graceful plum fruit is now giving way to raisin, toffee, balsam, coffee, spice box and creamy caramel. It has a refined texture with super complexity and balance alongside a lovely freshness, elegance and length. A classic, old school, mature Rioja which is very much alive and a joy to drink. It’s at its peak but should plateau at this level for some time if well stored.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2018 Haut-Brion is composed of 49.4% Merlot, 38.7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11.9% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, the wine needs a lot of swirling before it begins to release a whole complex melody of notes, one at a time to begin: tilled earth, followed by pronounced licorice, then crushed rocks, then the preserved plums. Eventually, it all comes together into a fascinating crescendo of intense crème de cassis, rose oil, wild blueberries and kirsch notes, giving way to quiet, persistent leitmotif scents of cinnamon stick, truffles and redcurrant jelly. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers all this and more, revealing tightly wound black fruit, red berry and exotic spice layers within a solid, wonderfully plush frame and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and loads of earth and mineral sparks. This is a profound, highly intellectual, multilayered baby, which will require a good 7-8 years to begin to sing its incredible song, then should cellar a further 40 years at least. By way of reference, think 1989 with more restraint and even greater purity.

Whisky Advocate (93)

Deep layers of vanilla and mizunara oak with sugar sprinkled pastries, incense sticks, oiled wood, tatami, dried apricot, golden sultana, and faint smoky spiciness. Nectarous mouthfeel with honey, barley sugar, dried citrus, orange peel, and delicate spices, it continues to sweeten beautifully showing vanilla, sugared almonds, banana custard, with hints of ginger and gentle oak. Slightly gummy finish as the vanilla quenches little eruptions of wood spices.

Emanating from France's Champagne region, J. de Telmont Heritage Brut Vintage 1975 1975 is an exceptional wine steeped in tradition and exclusivity. Assembled by leading producer J. de Telmont, this vintage Brut is a lavish expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, harvested from the producer's oldest vineyards. Distinguished by a meticulous vinification process that includes manual harvesting and gentle pressing, each bottle encapsulates the skill and patience of its creators. The 1975 vintage boasts a rich, golden hue, enlivened by delicate bubbles and a complex bouquet.

The exceptional maturity of J. de Telmont Heritage Brut Vintage 1975 reveals deep, layered flavours, underscored by smooth effervescence and lingering hints of honey and dried fruit. With its rarity and supreme quality, it is an unmissable jewel in the crown of any serious collector or fine wine connoisseur. J. de Telmont's dedication to artistry and excellence shines through each sip of this remarkable champagne.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

From the same vineyard as the Vatan release, the 2014 Vatan Arena is the first vintage of the cuvée and was brought up all in new French oak. This deep, inky-colored effort gives up awesome notes of crème de cassis, smoked earth, violets, and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, concentrated, yet opulent and layered, with fabulous purity of fruit and building tannin, this monumental beauty has no hard edges, fine, fine tannin, and a blockbuster finish. It's straight up gorgeous on all accounts yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age and will keep for 3-4 decades.

Jancis Robinson (18.5)

So close to Bonnes Mares but so different. This is always refined, says Véronique Drouhin. Estate vines organically farmed. Picked 8 September. 40% whole bunch. Usually 7–8 barrels. Cask sample. Mid crimson. Seductively, delicately scented. Red fruits, not overly sweet-smelling, and a delicate dusty/mineral note. Refined, slim, harmonious and fresh. The length is amazing. Mouth-watering, pure and all tongue-tied on the palate but ready for a long life.

Wine Enthusiast (100)

This is a fabulous wine from the greatest Champagne vintage so far this century. Still young, it blends almost equal amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fleshed out with Pinot Meunier. The minerality and the rich apple and green fruits are balanced, and acidity cuts into the wine with a pure, perfumed line of freshness. The wine could be drunk now, but it will age well into the the 2020s.

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.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2020 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is beautiful on the nose with harmonious, very pure dark cherries, violet and peony, blackcurrants and touches of rosemary. You could just inhale this all day. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, fine acidity, taut and fresh with just the right amount of spice towards the finish. So much energy here, this will be difficult to resist in its youth.

James Suckling (99)

So much violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants define this on the nose before it moves to fresh mushrooms. It’s full-bodied yet compacted with tension and a compressed center palate. Incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy. The length is truly great. Should be even more beautiful in 2024. Give it time.

Distilled at Longmorn in 1999, this single cask maturation was allowed to mature for 22 years. Bottled as part of the Gleann Mor Rare Find Collection in 2022. Coconut, tropical fruits and hints of golden honey on the nose, with blackcurrant, pears and peaches laced with vanilla custard on the palate, it is a very complex and engaging whisky. A long, sweet finish bursting with fruit makes this a showstopper and one of the most impressive bottlings on the market of this elusive single malt.

A unique pre-bottling limited time offering of one of the most legendary distilleries on earth, bottled by world-class independent bottlers, Samaroli. This Macallan has been (and currently still is) slumbering patiently in a single sherry cask since 1989 and will be bottled in an extremely limited run this February.

Wine Advocate (95)

2011 was a year of good ripeness and dry weather, similar to 2015 or 2019, a traditional Mediterranean year, when the 2011 Mas del Serral also showed a more traditional profile, with more toasty notes, some hints of cereals, honey and a touch of caramel, a little more oxidative than the 2012. It has 12.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.05, produced by pressing the full grapes and fermenting the juice in stainless steel and concrete eggs, kept with the lees for at least nine months and put to referment in bottle with Champagne neutral yeasts, and then matured with lees in bottle for 100+ months. It's a long-aging sparkling wine with high minerality and an austere mouthfeel, developing slowly in the glass and unfurling Mediterranean notes of fennel and esparto grass. It finishes very dry. This seems to be aging a little faster than the 2012.

There is a superb decadence to this first release of Montrose’s Grande Champagne Hors d’Age Cognac that brings to mind sultana and fig soaked in old Demerara rum. The signature of some extremely old spirit in the blend is instantly evident by virtue of an earthy complexity while the brightness and verve of younger cognac keeps the overall profile extremely lively and balanced. A fine brightness akin to mandarin orange with charred peel and candied bergamot adds character to the grape-driven palate. A long enduring finish brings in guava and honeyed mango as well as warming baking spices. A phenomenal effort from Montrose. If this is their first effort in Cognac then the future is very bright for this bottling indeed.

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.

So often a tasting note of top wines from Pauillac, the gorgeous Liqueur de Cassis was created by Baron Philippe to reflect the mastery of his winemakers’ skilful blending, growing three varieties of blackcurrants within the Mouton estate. Hand-picked and sorted twice at the peak of ripeness in July, the berries are crushed and macerated in grape spirits before being placed in oak for 50 days. The result is a remarkably long, fruity and silky Cassis displaying epic generosity alongside a delightfully spicy core which restrains the sweetness like black pepper on fresh strawberries.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection in a glass and unquestionably one of the great vintages for this cuvée, the 2015 Pavie is a blend of 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Sharing some similarities with the 2009, this tour de force sports a saturated purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of crème de cassis, crushed rocks, white truffle, and licorice. Its oak is perfectly integrated and balanced by this wine’s massive fruit and structure. Full-bodied, deep, and superbly concentrated, with building tannins, it’s a massive wine by any measure, but what sets it apart is that it still glides across the palate and retains an incredible sense of purity, balance, and elegance. It’s drinking well today due to the vintage’s opulence, yet won’t hit prime time for another 5-10 years and I suspect will keep for upward of 50 years.

Decanter (100)

An almost ideal growing season with no periods of extreme weather, ending with a cool but sunny September. Harvest began on 16 September. The very classy nose has a mineral-infused character underlying its spicy, floral scents. This Salon has the power to be long-lived and the freshness and vivacity to be already enjoyable, but also to be an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Perfection.