Stocktake Sale 2026

Vinous Media 92 points. The estate's 2000 Barolo Riserva reveals open, super-ripe aromatics and a soft core of dark fruit interwoven with sweet toasted oak. The wine is still fresh, even as it has started to develop more complex nuances in the bottle. This accessible, irresistible modern-styled wine offers a notable length and an engaging personality..

Wine Advocate 91-93 points.   "The huge, 240-acre estate of Fontanafredda has suddenly won a new lease on life after lying almost dormant for several years. This is the second vintage produced under new management, and the style is open and accessible, but still powerful. There is pure ripe fruit on the nose, flavors of black figs and wild strawberries and dry tannins, which still do not dominate the fruit." -  90/100 ,  Wine Enthusiast.

Wine Advocate 91 points.   Producer Notes Barolo with a ruby red color, with garnet reflections. The scent is broad, gentle, but intense, with clear hints of dried rose, violet, tobacco, undergrowth and light vanilla. In the mouth the texture of tannins is dense and full: the entrance is soft, almost velvety and then explodes into a sensation of fruit well balanced by acid freshness. The aftertaste is very long and rich in flavor.          

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" 

Wine Pilot 91 points. Lemon-gold colour, with a measured aromatic intensity, leaning toward a fruit-forward, early-drinking style characterised by an unpretentious mix of Meyer lemon, pink grapefruit, yellow peach, fresh cream and vanilla bean gelato. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, especially if the intent is easy, midweek drinking (and God knows we need that!). The palate follows through on that creamy, stone-fruit profile already signalled on the nose. As mentioned, this is all about immediate drinking pleasure and carefree satisfaction.

Superb example of cool-climate medium-bodied Shiraz from what was a great vintage according to owner/CEO Matt Fowles. Fruit came from both the best sites and best barrels, with only 200 cases being made. Super soft tannins and glorious mix of black fruit, spice and chocolate. The wine easily absorbs 75% new French oak. Tom Cannavan. 94 points.

The 2018 Fowles Upton Run Cabernet Sauvignon is a structured and refined Victorian Cabernet crafted in a classic cool-climate Australian style. The nose is layered and expressive, showing aromas of blackcurrant, dark plum and cassis alongside notes of cedar, dried herbs and subtle mint. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied with firm yet polished tannins and balanced acidity, delivering flavours of dark berries, blackberry, tobacco leaf and gentle oak spice. The wine shows depth and structure while maintaining freshness and restraint, finishing long with savoury complexity and fine Cabernet character.

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. 

This is a powerful, dense and still very young wine despite a bit of bottle age. After some time in the glass, it reveals concentrated red and black berry fruit, dried violet, mint, dusty, scrubby Aussie bush notes and a prominent line of polished mocha oak. The muscular tannins are dominant on the palate, tightly cinching the silky fruit. The acidity is well pitched and the finish long. Give this several more years in the bottle. Drink 2025–2035. Christina Pickard.

James Suckling 95 points. "The oak factor is dialed-up here and adds spicy, toasty aromas to the red-cherry, red-plum and blueberry aromas. It winds up and exudes such pure fruit with air. The palate has a very rich, intense and vividly defined feel with ripe red and dark-cherry flavors holding so pure at the finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap." JS. Cameron Douglas 94 points. Greystone is one of North Canterbury's wine stars situated on the slopes of limestone rich hills in Omihi. All of the grapes that go into Greystone wines are 100% certified organic with BioGro NZ and all are estate grown. No...

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.

"Brings cool-climate virtuosity to the glass with a pinot that is both wild in nature and elegant in purpose. Sour cherry, cranberry, dried leaves, briar and earthy scents are then mirrored on the palate, which is well defined by a sinewy, fine tannin presence. Clean and precise in delivery, with a cranberry-like tartness that gets the gastric juices in a whirl." Jenni Port Wine Companion 93/100   "Luminous, clear and clean. Amped up crunch yet still quiet and calm. Rock candy, mandarin orange and exotic spice. WIth neighbours like Giaconda and Savaterre - it echoes its sense of place with grace and focus." RR4WEA

95 points Australian Wine Companion. "This release represents a profound change at this address from a culture of rich wines hewn of old vines and traditional winemaking, at least in an Australian sense, to one of earlier harvesting and a grasp for freshness. Sure, the ancient vines remain. Yet despite the palpable intensity and drive, there is a twiggy dryness, a paucity of amplitude and a generosity that is synergistic with an early harvest window. Olive and dark fruits, sure. Time may bestow further beauty. " 95 points James Suckling "This release represents a significant change at this address from a culture of rich wines...

MADE IN FINLAND - 42.6% Kyrö Distillery in Isokyrö, Finland produce the small batch Napue Gin using rye grain and the finest botanicals.

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...

Malfy Arancia Gin is an Italian gin that, unlike the classic Malfy, uses blood orange among its botanicals, responsible for the orange tones of the gin, as well as Tuscan juniper, coriander, cassia and licorice, among others. Malfy is made just outside Turin by the Torino Distillati distillery. Historically, the area in which the distillery is located is famous for the production of wines, spirits, liqueurs and vermouths such as Martini, Cinzano and Carpano. The gin carries the GQDI 'Gin Di Qualità Distillato in Italia' quality seal, an unequivocal guarantee of the high standards used in the execution of the...

  Malfy is a zesty citrus and yet classically complex gin. The presence of stunning botanical additions sourced from the Italian coastline, in combination with lemon peel, provides the perfect, citric gin for any occasion. Enjoy in a martini or on the rocks.   #malify

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,...

The cigar box, tobacco, cedar, and red fruit aromas and flavors are so impressive on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and intensity with an energy and craziness in so many ways. It is a classic Rioja in a beautiful state that exudes the region. Drink now.  James Suckling.

Wine Advocate 93 points "The dark amber, almost orange 2022 Pesseroles Brisat, produced with Garnacha Blanca, Picapoll Blanc and Pedro Ximenez, macerated with skins for three weeks and then matured in glass demijohn, with the press wine matured in white clay containers that polish the wine in a way Sara Pérez likes. It has a textbook nose of an "orange" wine, plenty of quince and pollen. This style of wine requires patience and years in bottle to show its true character, because in the first few years, it's greatly marked by the process. The challenge in 2022 was to keep the freshness and tension, especially in the...

Massena was established at the turn of the century by Jaysen Collins and Dan S. 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 looks...

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 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon leads with raspberry and red gravel, cassis, cocoa and tobacco, with layers of red apple and licorice, all of it shaped by warm-biscuit oak. The palate has gentle clarity: the length of flavor is very long, but the intensity of this vintage has been turned down. It was an interesting year in the vineyards, with constant rain or drizzle, coupled with moderate temperatures throughout the growing season. It caused some viticultural pressures, which in turn impacted picking decisions; in the end, it was a season defined by extreme vigilance and nimble decision-making. This iteration is an elegant, fine expression,...

WINERY NOTE: Chardonnay is a variety that allows you more freedom to make wines in a style that you like more than any other. Ours you will get a more delicate subtle version, moreish and complex. Grapes from our Morrison Vineyard were whole bunch pressed directly to barrel, fermented naturally using the vineyard yeasts, all in older French oak. A wine with delicate fruit flavours, some savoury complexity, nuttiness & vanilla, with a soft palate of pith like mineral texture, all underpinned by fine acidity. Matured for just under a year on lees prior to hand bottling without filtration. Certified organic, Morrison vineyard, Pisa.

WINERY NOTE: Gamay, the way forward when you want something uncomplicated, refreshing, delicious and red -THE summer red for sure. Gamay is the hallmark variety of Beaujolais, at its best making wines with the ability to age, equally though amazing when young, especially from younger vines. Ours is pure fruit, delicious acidity, with just enough structure and weight to make it serious fun. Serve chilled or at room temperature, this is designed to drink now. Note: – this wine has minimal sulphites, unfined, unfiltered – store it cool, drink it young and don’t worry about a thing. Certified Organic –Muirkirk Vineyard,...

The wine Front 96 points. Organic. Morrison Vineyard is a 12 ha property with a 7.5 hectare vineyard situated on Wanaka Road in the foothills of the Lowburn and Parkburn Terraces, first planted in 1997. Vinified in a traditional fashion using open fermenters, hand plunging, natural yeasts and 14 months in French oak. Morrison vineyard grows a textural wine built around fine yet sinewy tannins and delicate fruits. This year we see the wine displaying perfumed aromatics with lovely floral notes over a solid core of both red and dark fruits. The 2019 whilst showing lovely complexity and lifted delicacy in its aromas is a wine of considerable...

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....

“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...

SELECTION Selection for this Chardonnay focused on premium fruit from the cool slopes of the Upper Yarra Valley , Gladysdale (Willowlake) and Wandin East (Barkala), with a touch of estate fruit from Coldstream. VINTAGE 2023 A vintage defined by cool, wet conditions, low crops and harvesting late into autumn. The resulting wines have great depth of flavour and vibrant, balanced acidities. WINEMAKING A traditional winemaking approach was used to produce this wine – handpicking and whole bunch pressing directly to 500 litre French oak puncheons for natural fermentation followed by a 9-month maturation on lees. TASTING NOTE Pale straw and...

The Oakridge 2023 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir has an immediate explosion of fruit aromas on the nose, with dark cherry, blackberry and pomegranate with elements of spice and toast adding complexity. The palate displays a lush and layered density of fruit with dark cherry and red berry flavours with plush fruit tannins woven in adding complexity. There is a soft yet bright acid line providing drive and length to wine before the classic fantail finish of a great Yarra Pinot Noir.

99 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: (James Suckling #67 Wine of 2022) "The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028." 08/22.   97-99 Points, Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year,...

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)"

Vinous Media 92 points. The 2019 Dogliani Superiore Bricco Botti is powerful, dark and maybe just a bit rustic, but also nicely balanced. Black cherry game, tobacco and scorched earth add layers of dimension to this brooding powerhouse Dogliani. SOMMELIER'S DESCRIPTION The Dogliani Superiore "Bricco Botti" by Pecchenino is one of the best Dolcetto currently on the market; very fine, crisp, clean and with a great character and personality. The cellar Pecchenino is a landmark in the Langhe, a cellar that has retained its connotation family passing on his farms from generation to generation. Today we find the brothers Attilio and...

"The Produttori del Barbaresco 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo comes from an area that is further removed from the Tanaro River and has southwestern exposures. It shows a typical profile for Nebbiolo with rich fruit, a velvety mouthfeel and textural volume that is delivered with ample blackberry, blackcurrant and spice. The character of this wine is generous and rich. There is plenty of meat on these bones. 2026-2050" WA 94   #PIRA  

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.