Wine
Roll over: Green and flinty
Derived from 46 hectares of holdings that average around 45 years old, Fèvre's 2020 Chablis Village is a rare example of a cuvée that combines quantity and quality. Offering up aromas of white flowers, clear honey, bread dough and fresh pastry, it's medium-bodied, saline and seamless, with bright acids and a fine-boned, elegant but intensely flavored profile. Robert Parker.com
Roll over: Looking for the finest grapes with which to craft the finest wines, Albert Bichot has gradually bought vineyards in the most sought-after locations in Burgundy.
Domaines Albert Bichot is a leading family-owned and run negociant house and estate owner in Burgundy, formed in 1831 and now based in the town of Beaune. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties are unsurprisingly the main focus; the company also produces red wines from the Gamay grape in Beaujolais to the south.
Roll over: An exclusive partnership of two extraordinary men who are passionate about producing wines of exceptional quality
French master winemaker Ludwig Vanneron believes the Chardonnay fruit grown in New Zealand is no different to Burgundy, it’s the understanding of terroir and the consistent effort of vine caring that is required. LVCA are looking for flavour concentration with fully ripen grape condition giving a perfect level of phenolic compounds. The fruit is grown in Maraekakaho (a small appellation of Hawkes Bay), being more inland with cooler allows extra time to hang the fruit to reach its full ripeness slowly helping to retain good acidity. Clone B95 is 100% fully fermented in tight-grained French barrels between 10-12 months with occasionally bâttonage. The result with an astonishing pleasant nose of yellow lily and popcorn, with succulent golden peach and tangerine, the rich creamy texture coating bright stone -fruit buttery taste which leaves memorable experience like their brother, Petit Frere.
Roll over: The concentration of this wine is balanced by remarkable freshness.
Fresh and lively, it sings on the palate! Pear, apple, spice, florals and honeyed notes can all be found in this complex wine made with Pinot Gris from the Home Vineyard site. The luscious texture is followed by incredible refreshing acidity, leaving the palate cleansed and wanting more.
This rich, layered and complex wine manages to retain freshness and structure thanks to the elevation of the site and the concentration from the drying process.
Prophet’s Rock know that great wines begin in the vineyard. That’s why they embrace an approach to winemaking that shares the splendour of the place rather than pronounced winemaking characteristics. The result Iconic wines that invoke Central Otago’s striking, unforgettable beauty.
Roll over: 100% Roussanne
This white Saint-Joseph wine is made from pure Roussanne, from mature rootstock that hails from the walled 4-hectare 'Clos Forentin' vineyard which the Chaves acquired in 2009. Fewer than 400 cases are produced annually and it is popular on export markets, as with many Chave wines. It has lovely almond and acacia flower scents and wonderfully-textured white stone fruit palate with a long, elegant finish.
In an amazing example of vinous lineage, the Chave family has been growing grapes on the hill of Hermitage since 1481. Today the estate is run by Gerard Chave and his son Jean-Louis and they produce some of the regions finest wines including a red & white Hermitage, a St-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur. Superb vineyard holdings including prime slices of Bessards, L'Hermite, Peleat and Meal in Hermitage, and incredibly high standards in both the vineyard and cellar, the wines are made in a very hands-off fashion and show great detail, nuance and regional typicity.
Roll over: Prophet’s flagship Pinot Noir – their no compromise obsession.
The 2022 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir is possessed of a most exciting display of red fruits and ductile tannin in concert. The tannins have a much closer, more densely packed feeling than the unfurling/spooling Olearia. There’s pomegranate, red and black cherry, licorice, star anise and even a hint of cumin seed. It's a wonderful wine that I know from experience benefits from a decant, which allows the fruit to stretch its legs, so to speak. Supple, throaty and full but not big. Still composure. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam. 94+Robert Parker.com
Prophet’s Rock know that great wines begin in the vineyard. That’s why they embrace an approach to winemaking that shares the splendour of the place rather than pronounced winemaking characteristics. The result Iconic wines that invoke Central Otago’s striking, unforgettable beauty.
Roll over: Multiple layers of toasted hazelnut, vanilla and incense with an aftertaste that goes on and on.
A brilliant amber colour, Bodega Urium’s beautiful Amontillado has been aged for 17 years. This lengthy ageing process has resulted in a mahogany hued sherry with aromas of toffee and raisin on the nose. It bursts into the mouth with multiple layers of toasted hazelnut, vanilla and incense with an aftertaste that goes on and on.
A dry, neutral wine is made from Palomino grapes and is left to mature under a level of flor. Flor is a white crust that forms as the result of natural yeasts in the bodega. It feeds on oxygen and alcohol and gives the Sherry a distinct yeasty character. After at least two years under this crust, the wine is fortified to at least 17 percent, which kills the flor. The longer this period is, the stronger the yeast character will be in the finished wine.
Roll over: Fino taken to the next level
Gold in color and ideal on the nose courtesy of alluring walnut, nutmeg and briny aromas, this elevated fino is both crisp as well as viscous. Flavors of almond skins, saline and dried apricot finish with purity and supreme confidence. This is fino taken to the next level
Roll over: The perfect balance!
Pale gold in colour. Fine bubbles feed a persistent mousse. A delicate nose with hints of fresh citrus and white flowers. The wine’s complexity is expressed in successive notes such as vine peach and white fruit notes. A perfect balance between freshness and delicacy with fruity flavours very present on the finish.
Roll over: There is a saying "once you start to fall under wine's spell, all roads will lead you to Burgundy."
Dominique Lafon was the first Côte d'Or superstar to expand his holdings into the Mâconnais followed by Domaine Leflaive. They have breathed new life and prestige into this cooperative dominated region. Les Héritieres du Comte Lafon produces wines ranging from generic Mâcon up to four single-vineyard wines. With the same biodynamic techniques as used in his Meursault domaine, Lafon has crafted a range of delicious wines that show the regions true potential.
The cool essence of apple, spice and lemon-lime elements leads to ripe, delicious and generous proportioned flavors that also possess good vibrancy on the very dry but not really austere finale that is a bit firmer still. While this could easily be enjoyed young, it should also repay a few years of cellaring. Burghound
Roll over: A monopole of Domaine Faiveley
Deeper-pitched and more brooding than the more ethereal Framboisière, Faiveley's 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands delivers aromas of ripe cherries, berries, licorice, bitter chocolate and spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit and powdery tannins, it will demand a bit of patience this year. William Kelley robertparker.com
Roll over: Leeuwin Estate is one of the five founding wineries in the Margaret River
Aromatic and extremely complex, a big wine with many nuances. Green olive, cedar, blueberry and wild blackberry flavors are at the core of this dense, succulent red, with velvety, polished tannins. Complexity only gains on the finish, where nuances of tobacco, thyme, sarsaparilla and Earl Grey tea linger. Drink now through 2037. WS94
Roll over: An exclusive partnership of two extraordinary men who are passionate about producing wines of exceptional quality
Full, ruby-red with an inky core, lighter on the rim. The bouquet is elegantly expressive, enticing nuances of black plums, blackberries interweave cloves and nutmeg, cedar, vanilla and violet. Full-bodied, aromas of plums, cassis and blackberries have purity and depth, savoury mushroom, cedar unfolds, along with violets, nutmeg, cloves barrel spices, linger to a long, satisfying finish. The fruit is the star, pristine with great flavour and depth; quality oak used to elevate and enrich the complexity, added savoury mealiness, fine barrel spices, cedar details, left a velvety mouthfeel contributed by finely extracted tannins. The wine is broody and flavoursome; black fruit enriched by elegant oak details flows harmoniously on a velvety palate. Match with braised short ribs and Perigord truffle over the next 10-15 years. A blend of Merlot 57%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Cabernet Franc 5% & 3% Malbec. Handpicked, hand-sorted, destemmed, cold-soaked for 3 days, fermented to 13.6% alc, aged in 100% French oak for 12-14 months, 28% new and 72% one-year-old barrels. Egg white fined and filtered before bottling. 1,200 bottles produced. 19+/20 pts (96 pts) Sept 2021 Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
Roll over: Chanson Pere & Fils en Bourgogne (Domaine Chanson) is a wine producer and négociant based in the central Burgundian town of Beaune
Neat, composed, non-showy nose. Attractive stoniness and freshness with some fine tannin but there is energy here rather than just ripeness. Very juicy and fine-boned. Jancis Robinson.com
Roll over: Rich and Intense.
Bold dark cherry compote flavors are liberally laced with violet, savory and singed anise notes. Features a nice flash of warm earth through the finish. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.
In an amazing example of vinous lineage, the Chave family has been growing grapes on the hill of Hermitage since 1481. Today the estate is run by Gerard Chave and his son Jean-Louis and they produce some of the regions finest wines including a red & white Hermitage, a St-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur. Superb vineyard holdings including prime slices of Bessards, L'Hermite, Peleat and Meal in Hermitage, and incredibly high standards in both the vineyard and cellar, the wines are made in a very hands-off fashion and show great detail, nuance and regional typicity.
Roll over: Top Wine in Cuisine Magazine Champagne ranking!!
"Henriot is a Champagne house for insiders – it does fly under the radar but produces exquisite Champagnes. For over 210 years the Henriot family has symbolised an innovative approach and has remained independent. This chardonnay dominant Champagne house incorporates an exceptionally high proportion of Premiers and Grands Crus in its cuvées, which come from the best Chardonnay parcels. Producing only 1.3 million bottles a year, this family owned house features a long-aging style and a focus on Chardonnay. Says 8th generation managing director, Thomas Henriot: "I do not like wines that go in strange directions. I like to know where we are and where we are going. Full malolactic fermentation provides soft structures, with dosages between 6 and 11 g/L." Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide
"Henriot in general aims for understated wines and like the regular Souverain, this is has a distinct yeast component but it's more restrained than the vast majority of examples in this review. The reserved nose features notes of green apple and white rose with the aforementioned yeast present only as a nuance that leads to crisp, refined and very pure flavors that offer both excellent cut and fine detail. It will also age extremely well and for my taste, I would allow it another 2 to 3 years first as it will repay your patience amply. Lovely juice." Burghound 92/100
