Stocktake Sale 2025

Wine Spectator 96 points. On the savory side, this red opens with freshly mowed grass, hay and eucalyptus aromas before revealing cherry, strawberry, rose and mineral flavors. Fleshy, with a matrix of dense tannins flexing their muscles on the finish. Shows excellent potential. Best from 2023 through 2042. Wine Enthusiast 95 points. The Vigna La Rosa Barolo is harmonious, well-rounded and elegant in taste; it’s very fine and delicate bouquet is reminiscent of faded roses and, with the ageing process, tends to acquire a pronounced earthy style but with a velvety sort of taste. Decanter World Wine awards, Platinum Medal/ 97 points.

WA 92. The 2001 Barolo Lazzarito was made in the same over, opulent style as the other 2001s, but now, after the passage of time, it is the vineyard’s distinct signature that has taken center stage. Black cherries, plums, licorice, tar and smoke are some of the many notes that flow from this huge, muscular 2001. If anything, the 2001 needs more is time. Subtle overtones of mint, flowers and spices add the final layers of complexity. This is another great showing. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2026. AG Apr 2012.   "Proprieta in FF" 

The 2018 Clayvin Chardonnay shows once again the pedigree of this outstanding terroir. Aromatically cool, pure, restrained and delicately poised with its lovely array of mineral reduction, lemon rind, white flower and pear influences, this wine is all finesse with no weakness. The palate offers a wonderfully refined texture, harmony and an airy lightness that makes its underlying power nearly invisible.

MADE IN ITALY . Gin del Professore is a collaboration between Federico Ricatto, Carlos Quaglia and the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome. The Madame gin has extra layers of sweetness from cinnamon, vanilla and wild rose.

MADE IN ITALY. The Del Professore range is a collaboration between Federico Ricatto, Carlos Quaglia and the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome. The Monsieur gin is the richer of the range, with classic notes of juniper and citrus.

JS 96 jamessuckling.com, August 2023 Aromas of plum, iron and pumice with some flowers. It’s medium-bodied with powdered, fine tannins. It’s layered and elegant yet so structured. Very long and focused. Wild finish with a lava-like undertone to it all. Just above the contrada of Rapante. Drinkable but better in two or three years. 

97 Points Bob Campbell MW. "Flagship pinot noir only produced in outstanding vintages. From vines on the steepest and most exposed part of the Greystone vineyard. Intense, inky, firmly-structured pinot noir with dark berry, red-fleshed plum, liquorice and new leather flavours. A big wine that deserves decanting and will certainly repay cellaring." .. Organic Single Block Reserve People thought we were crazy planting on the top of a steep limestone hill in North Canterbury. We got told the yields would be too low ( they were right ), the steep access would make it difficult and expensive to work ( right again ), the wind would...

James Halliday Wine Companion 92 points. No details other than a touch of nero d'Avola in the mix, and there's certainly a lovely black cherry-jubey-cola lift among the more meaty-reductive-savoury notes. While more medium-bodied, the tannins are firm and there seems to be a lot of charry oak drying and clipping the finish. 92 points. Jane Faulkner Published 01 August 2020.

James Halliday Wine Companion, 95/100 Certified organic and biodynamic. A high-tension, fragrant Springvale release. Bright, floral perfume of lime blossom, ozone, blackcurrant and green apple. A strong spectrum of citrus flavours are the currency here: lemon, lime and a squirt of pulpy grapefruit zing with a faintly yeasty, almond-like character to finish. Quiet complexity and vitality are writ large here. Excellent. 95 points. Mike Bennie Published 13 September 2022. Wine Advocate 95+. Coiled. That's what this 2022 Springvale Riesling is. It's like a compressed spring, waiting for release. The fruit is from the Springvale vineyard...

Wine Advocate 92 points. One of the new wines this time was the 2019 Pedra, a blend of 80% Mencía and 20% other varieties. It matured in a granite egg that they feel opens the wines up quite a lot and 30% in oak to give it structure. It's fruit-driven, fresh and light with 13% alcohol from a very good vintage in the zone, not terribly complex and with a medium body and polished tannins. Ready. 1,000 bottles were filled in May 2023. LG Nov 2023.

"Includes 10% grenache. The old vines range between 35 and 160yo, all situated in the Eden Valley, open-fermented, 14 days on skins, matured in French oak (20% new), 250 dozen made. It is a highly fragrant wine, the grenache contributing to the fresh red and black cherry fruits." JH 96 Aug 2020 Very small parcels of fruit from vineyards up to 100 years old are hand-picked, fermented with some whole-bunches and blended to make this traditional Barossan wine. Racked once during elevage of 12 months in larger barrels (some new) and always with a small addition of Old Vine Grenache for balance. Showing all the richness of fruit you...

Wine Advocate 96+. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose pops with vivacious notes of warm cassis, blackberry pie and redcurrant jelly, plus hints of crushed rocks, bay leaves and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers a solid, firm and grainy texture with a lively backbone cutting through dense earth-laced layers, finishing long and minerally. Impressive! LPB Oct 2021. #NEWINT

Age of vines 25 years Grape variety Pinot Noir Ageing French oak barrels. Origin of wood: Allier and Vosges 25%ofnewoak. Wine remained 15 months in barrels. Viticulture Pruning style: Cordon de Royat and Guyot simple. Manual harvest. Green work (de-budding, leaf-thinning,...). Triple sorting: in the vineyard (twice) and in the winery on sorting table Winemaking Grapes are destemmed, put into vat at 12°c during 5 days (cold pre-fermentary) to extract the primary aromas. Indigenous yeasts. Smooth extraction respecting the grape variety, terroir and vintage. Fermentation lasts around 20 days. Tasting notes The bouquet is round and offers...

TOP 100 WINERIES OF THE WORLD....WINE & SPIRITS MAGAZINE. Veronelli...."Always among the very best Amarone and red wines in Italy." Le Salette is a small, family owned producer in the Valpolicella region of Veneto. Their 20 hectares of vines are now producing some of the very best amarones in the market, and this quality runs through their whole range. Like their other wines, their main Amarone shows such layered intensity, creaminess, and elegance. Controlled, harmonious black currants, black berries, with remarkably well balanced power throughout. Luxurious from start to finish. Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella, Croatina and...

James Suckling 94 points. "Clear and creamy with aromas of green apples, lemons, mango stones and fresh apricots. Some blanched almonds. Full-bodied and elegant, with lovely ripeness balanced with fresh minerality. Drink or hold." Favorite terroir of Chardonnay with its prestigious neighbors, Puligny-Montrachet is bordered to the north by Meursault and its famous “Charmes” and Chassagne-Montrachet to the south, a village with which it shares the “Montrachet”. This climat takes its name from the 14th century: diminutive of hare, the latter were very abundant in this area. Years of planting 1942 Nature of...

James Suckling 95 points. "Classy and powerful, showing lime peel, grilled pineapples, white sesame seeds, yellow nectarines and mangoes. All about the fruit concentration, with a full body and fleshy yet energetic layers. Fresh zesty notes linger. Youthful for now. Try from 2024."   Favorite terroir of Chardonnay with its prestigious neighbors, Puligny-Montrachet is bordered to the north by Meursault and its famous “Charmes” and Chassagne-Montrachet to the south, a village with which it shares the “Montrachet”. Years of planting 1929 (21.5 a), 1992 (20.5 a) and 1995 (39 a) Nature of soils At the bottom...

James Suckling 93 points. Hints of white pepper and white tea here among the apricot, pear and baked apple fruit. Lovely ripeness for the vintage, with a medium to full body and bright, focused fruit. Delicious finish.  This is one of the 3 original 1er Cru of Mercury. From grapes that were sustainably grown, with no use of herbicides. Drink or hold. JS.

This has a complex array of blackberries, black cherries, cocoa, dried herbs, slate, tobacco, olives and charred bark. Some dried roses and iodine, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm yet refined tannins. Powerful, in an understated way. Long. 73% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc and 20% sangiovese. Try in 2025. - James Suckling , 98 points. Love the depth and restrained power on display here. Made for leisurely drinking over a few hours. Cocoa powder, liqourice, blueberry, smoked herbs and raspberry fruits. Tannins have texture and grip, highlighting a lemongrass and slate roughness to the finish, all given definition by a fennel,...

Wine Advocate 96 points. The flagship 2018 Clos Martinet is the wine that started it all and is still a blend of Garnacha (Tinta and Peluda), Syrah, Cariñena, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell as it was since the beginning but now with a restrained 13.5% alcohol and higher acidity. Clos Martinet is a single five-hectare terraced vineyard planted with clonal material in 1986 on decomposed llicorella slate, iron and big rocks in the soil. The varieties are co-fermented depending on the date picked—at three different ripening times—in two concrete vats and 200-liter oak vats with indigenous yeast and whole clusters....

Massena was established at the turn of the century by Jaysen Collins and Dan Standish. Growing up amongst the old vines of the Barossa inspired a collaboration in making wines of character, balance and a reflection of the sense of enjoyment in the whole winemaking process. The search for amazing vineyards continued year after year which culminated in welcoming Stonegarden custodian Glen Monaghan into the Massena collective. Black pepper, aniseed, dark cherry and liquorice aromas. The opulent palate is full of black cherry,  and dark chocolate with typical Barossa black fruits and a rich, supple mouthfeel. Fresh acidity ensures the wine...

Wine Advocate 97 points. Total production 208 dozen. The 2019 Stonegarden Grenache is made with fruit from the Stonegarden Vineyard (bush vines planted circa 1858) in the Eden Valley. This is so good. It shows all of the mineralogy and graphite tannins that are so commonly found in the Eden Valley—part of what makes it such a special place. I was there recently, and driving up Mengler's Hill not only affords you a most epic view back over the Barossa Valley floor, but I find it the best place to understand the rocks in the earth that rise up out of the ground there. This wine has such endurance of flavor in the mouth that I can...

Wine Advocate 96 points The Masseto 2021 Massetino is mostly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc for good measure. The wine (packaged in a heavy glass bottle) is very richly concentrated and layered. You see (and taste) the opulent texture of the wine as it slowly coats the glass. Quality fruit is matched by carefully selected oak, and the intensity of both builds on the palate. This vintage is poised for especially long cellar aging. This vintage of Massetino (2021) scores neck-in-neck with the current vintage (2020) of Masseto.  

Massetino is considered the second wine of Masseto, but I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that it's far more than that. It represents around one-third of the production of Masseto, and judging by the quality of this 2022, next year's release of the grand vin could be absolutely phenomenal.   Massetino has always incorporated a portion of Cabernet Franc since its first vintage, 2017 - 10% in 2022. A cool and dry spring led to a slightly late budbreak, followed by 75 days of drought and high temperatures. Summer rains eventually came along to restore balance, and the cool September evenings were perfect for the...

  JD 100 jebdunnuck.com, January 2024 (98-100 points) Tasted from barrel, the 2021 Masseto pours a youthful magenta hue and brings forward an inviting bouquet with some blue fruit coming through and more chocolate aromas as well with to me it is fresh with blackberry, and purple violet flowers. It boasts outstanding concentration and depth, with a plush, cushiony texture at this stage, incredible finesse and balance, and a wonderful mineral aroma of wet asphalt coming through. A harmonious wine with well-integrated oak, this may be the best vintage of this cuvée that I have tasted to date.  TWI 100 The Wine Independent,...

Nestled in Damery, just a few kilometres from Épernay, Maison Maurice Choppin has been working the unique terroirs of the Marne Valley for more than 7 generations. Proud of his family heritage and his humble approach to living things, Benjamin Choppin makes natural and distinctive wines that are powerful, well rounded and balanced. Inspired by the "Belle Champagne", he values its exceptional heritage and shines the light on the work of the winemaker. Producer    Champagne Maurice Choppin - Benjamin Choppin.   Origin  Damery, Vallee de la Marne, Champagne, France Grapes  85% Pinot Meunier, 10% ...

Nestled in Damery, just a few kilometres from Épernay, Maison Maurice Choppin has been working the unique terroirs of the Marne Valley for more than 7 generations. Proud of his family heritage and his humble approach to living things, Benjamin Choppin makes natural and distinctive wines that are powerful, well rounded and balanced. Inspired by the "Belle Champagne", he values its exceptional heritage and shines the light on the work of the winemaker.   #ROSE

The flagship, crafted with the finest fruit from the famed proprietary sites: Old Hill, Old Paddock, Rosehill 1946 and 1965 Vines. As with the other reds in the stable, maker Adrian Sparks has lightened the structural lattices to impart greater freshness and joy. Full and plummy, the wine spent but 10 months in large-format French wood, less than 20% new. The result, almost as pulpy and vital, as it is dense and torqued. Wonderful tannins, alloyed and finely knit. A textural opus. Anise, loamy wet earth scents and flavours of sarsaparilla, clove and cardamom, too. Better after 2 days in the bottle, indicating just how well it will age....

This wine has been handled with kid gloves: hand picked and destemmed, 10% retained as whole bunches. Held in cold soak for three days, open fermented with thrice daily plunging; eight days on skins, then matured in French puncheons for eight months. The colour is excellent, and the abundant red fruits and superfine tannins are as good as they come. A new Hunter Valley style that challenges the idea that the Hunter is too hot for pinot noir. 95 points. James Halliday Published 14 February 2023. This rare wine is produced from the original pinot noir vines brought to Australia by James Busby.in 1833. 

“Intense pinot noir with a mix of fruit and savoury characters including raspberry, dark cherry, dried herb, grape stem, hedgerow and nutty oak flavours. Accessible now but with potential to gain even more complexity with bottle age. 95 Points, Five Stars.”  Bob Campbell  MW, NZ.   Organically Certified BioGro 56438 | Moutere Clay Gravels | Single Vineyard | Low Cropping | Hand Harvested | Wild Ferment | Natural Spring Malo | Barrel Matured | Unfined | Unfiltered | Vegan | Lightweight Glass Bottle | Solar Powered Winery Nelson lends itself to sophisticated, savoury Pinot Noir. Pinot for cool nights and...

Noon Eclipse is predominantly Grenache (80%+) with smaller proportions of Shiraz and Graciano. The grapes come from the three Noon ‘home’ vineyards in McLaren Vale. The grapes are hand-picked and fermented in small, open vats with hand-plunging to help extract colour and tannins.

"Possibly our best Reserve Cabernet ever. Produced from 66% Fruit Trees block and 34% Main Road block Cabernet Sauvignon. After a warm start to harvest in 2019, the weather cooled down from early March and the Cabernet ripened slowly to perfection in the lovely autumn days which followed. Harvested on April 3 (Fruit Trees) and 17 (Main Road). Beautifully fresh varietal flavours and great tannin structure. We love this wine. The Fruit Trees and Main Road blocks are on deep alluvial soil, with enough clay to retain good moisture and in a site cool enough to ensure slow ripening and high flavour development in the grapes. Noon Reserve...

WINERY NOTE: "This opulent and densely concentrated wine is sourced from the ‘20 Rows’ block within the Borrett family’s Langhorne Creek vineyard. It is vinified in small, open vats, pressed using a traditional basket press and aged for 18 months in new (30-40%) and seasoned, 300-litre American and French oak barrels. It is unashamedly a full-bodied, generously-flavoured wine with annual production between 750 and 850 dozen." - Noon Winery #NOON

Winery Notes- Overture 2021, the first vintage-dated bottling of the second wine of Opus One, offers fresh aromas of plum, blackberry, and cherry enhanced by alluring notes of dried rose petal, forest floor, and earthy minerality. Juicy and bright on the palate with distinctive flavors of black currant, blueberry, and fraises du bois; the wine delivers a velvety texture with powdery tannins. Subtle coffee and dark chocolate round out the long finish coupled with a well-integrated acidity.   #OPUS

Jane Anson 97 points. James Suckling  98 POINTS "Blackcurrant and graphite, like lead pencil. So aromatic. Intense, perfectly ripe fruit. Full and polished with delicious fruit and tannins that melt into the wine. Rich, yet fresh. Better after 2027. (04/2023)"

Antonio Galloni 93 points. CHARACTERISTICS: Rich and complex wine produced using vines grafted in 2004 on a surface of around 1,5 hectares. The choice of little productive clones, the use of a little vigorous rootstock as the Rupestris du Lot and the wonderful climatic position of the Tulin vineyard allowed us to reach quickly an unexpected result. TECHNICAL NOTES: Accurate selection in vineyard with double cluster thinning (green harvest) and following hand harvesting. Further selection in cellar before the destemming and crushing. Fermentation with maceration for about 15 days. Ageing 2 years in wooden barrels and 1 year in bottle. TASTING...

James Suckling 97 points. Wine Advocate 96 points. Huon Hooke 98points. Tony Love 98 points. James Halliday 97 points. Available in cases of six if required. Very deep, dark, youthful purple/red colour, impressive in the glass. The bouquet is reserved and understated, with more earthy, savoury aromas coming first followed by cassisy cabernet-like nuances, the palate more elegant than expected with lovely purity of concentrated blackberry, blackcurrant cabernet fruit skilfully welded to neatly integrated oak characters. A cracking wine, concentrated but in no way heavy or overwrought. Indeed, it has real elegance. A delicious wine, and...

"Really gorgeous blue fruit with blackberries and blueberries, sandalwood and fresh flowers. Such a cool and bright nose. Lavender, too. Medium-to full-bodied, firm and tight with really fine and curated tannins that last for minutes. Very attractive now, but one that will age and satisfy for decades. Best in 2027 and onwards." -  James Suckling. 98 points.

"A focused and citrusy Coal River Valley chardonnay, pale straw in the glass, that is packed with ripe lemon, grapefruit, peach and nectarine fruits with hints of soft spice, vanillin oak, crème fraîche, white flowers and stone. Plenty of tension and steely mineral focus on the palate; the wine at first coils before releasing with lemon, grapefruit and poached pear fruits sliding gracefully to the finish line." 94 points. Dave Brookes Published 07 August 2024.   #FOGG

Coal River Valley-sourced pinot noir. Dark red in the glass with aromas of black cherry and dark plum dotted with spices, Chinese roast duck, mushroom broth, rhubarb, leaf litter, dried herbs and soy. Lovely ripe cherry fruits on the palate with a nice sapid line of minerally acidity hitting all the right notes of fruit tension, gamey complexity and effortless drinkability. Geez, it's easy to pour another glass of this. 94 points. Dave Brookes Published 02 August 2023   #FOGG

Trophy, Best Gin at Show, International Spirits Challenge 2015. Made in England. Almost half a pound of the finest Sloes are used to produce every bottle of this cold-compounded Sloe Gin, along with a merry band of botanicals, including Juniper Berries, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cloves, and Orange Peel. Marzipan, juniper, cinnamon and hot cloves. Citrus swirls in the background with aromas of freshly baked cake.