Wine

Roll over: Pure crystalline nose, very little reduction - classical left bank Chablis. 

Here too the nose is elegant, pure and layered but with more floral and spice nuances adding breadth to the cooler and more restrained aromas. There is both excellent intensity and density to the mineral-driven flavors that terminate in a bone-dry, sneaky long and balanced finale. This too is really very good. 91-93 Burghound

Roll over: Full-bodied palate, with lovely roundness.

Derived from old vines in Les Minots (that are a source for the Fèvre massale selection), as well as holdings in Roncières and Chatains, the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons unwinds in the glass with notes of white flowers, crisp stone fruit and clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it's a beautifully vibrant, racy wine that concludes with a long, penetrating finish. It's the best young Vaillons I've ever tasted chez Fèvre. Robert Parker.com

Roll over: Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 2023 Brunello is the soul, the identity of Argiano: elegance, finesse and, at the same time, structure and long aging.

Rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are the main themes in this red, along with wild herb, mineral and cut hay accents. Racy and full of energy, with a long, saturated finish. Best from 2025 through 2042. 9,400 cases made Jun 2023 95 points Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 2023

Roll over: The meeting of two winemakers from the two hemispheres.

The 2020 season was very cool—it snowed during vintage—and the wine spent an extended time in oak: 26 months, as opposed to 32 months for the 2019 and 17 months for the 2018. The yield this year was one barrel more than the 2019, another interesting point. So, the 2020 Cuvée Aux Antipodes Blanc feels the sweet spot in terms of minerality and savoriness—it is restrained and composed and aromatically voluminous. In the mouth, the wine touches both extremes. The composure of the fruit is enlivened by the electricity from the acidity, and the combination is a truly exciting and svelte drinking experience. It's really, really good. The phenolics are tightly woven and flowing through the finish, and these grab the flavor and propel it further into the finish. Remarkable wine. Superb. Nine barrels were made. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam. 97 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: Full-bodied palate, with lovely roundness.

The 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons reveals a perfumed bouquet of white flowers, citrus zest, crisp orchard fruit and shells, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless palate that's bright and charming, with a pure, elegant profile. This has turned out beautifully. Robert Parker.com

Roll over: The meeting of two winemakers from the two hemispheres.

The 2022 Cuvée Aux Antipodes Blanc is a magnificent triumph of yields. Where previously this 1.8-hectare plot produced anywhere from six to eight barrels of wine, the 2022 produced 23 barrels of wine—very exciting for followers of this cuvée. On the nose, the wine is showing its youth, but far from being inchoate, it is long and polished through the very long finish. It's got lashings of stone fruit and preserved citrus, white pepper, star anise, shaved fennel, juniper and cold buttered toast. This is a wonderful wine of potential and kaleidoscopic complexity, although it is far tighter and more compact than previous years. Searingly good. This was an unlabeled bottle pre-release. 13% alcohol, sealed under Diam. 96+ 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: 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.

A rich swath of black cherry, rose and oak spice aromas and flavors marks this opulent red. Backed by vibrant acidity and well-integrated tannins, this ends in a cascade of fruit and spice. Very silky and harmonious. Best from 2021 through 2038. Wine Spectator 93points

Roll over: One of the pioneering Martinborough wineries, Dry River has the advantage of having a decent proportion of older vines.

Darker notes of oak, oak bark and toasted cumin and coriander spices contrast with lifted fruits of cassis, blood orange, raspberry, and cherries. Then there are the grounding aromatics by way of freshly cut barley straw, nutmeg, and fresh thyme. It reminds me a little bit of the 2010 vintage, with its cooler finish that showed interesting contrasts of aromatics.

We have seen a lively and fresh acidity in the 2020 white wines, which also shows in the Pinot Noir. It gives clear direction, drive, and tension - verging on that dissonance mentioned earlier - and shows the lines over the length of the palate, accentuating the fine tannins and leaving little “space” for the depth and concentration of the fruit to show. Don’t be fooled, the fruit is there. The wine just needs a bit of time to show its generosity and warmth, something we all seem to crave at the moment. - Dry River

Roll over: Top Wine in Cuisine Magazine Champagne ranking!!

"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 8 and 11 g/L." Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide Pale Pink.

""Spicy baked red and blackberry nose with a whiff of struck-match. The palate offers almond cake and red berry notes and glimpses of butter, nuts and lemon macaroon. A very good rose to match salads and barbecued fish. High-pitched aromas of red berries, blood orange, ginger and chalky minerals, with an element of Asian spices emerging with air. Juicy, spicy and firm, showing surprising volume and very good energy to the spice-accented blood orange and strawberry flavors. This silky, penetrating, linear Champagne carries no excess fat. Closes on a dusty mineral note, with excellent clarity and length." 95 Decanter

Roll over: The meeting of two winemakers from the two hemispheres.

After a difficult flowering season of wind, rain and hail, fruit was picked just days ahead of the snow. On the nose, the 2020 Cuvee aux Antipodes Pinot Noir is gently reductive but layered with lashings of black cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, mulberry and a hint of tapenade. In the mouth, the wine is complex but sedate; it needs time, as it’s tightly wound and coiled for now. The complexity and length of flavor are surefire signs that this wine is destined for great things. For now, if you're planning on opening a bottle, be sure you decant it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam. 10 barrels only. The 2020 Cuvee aux Antipodes Pinot Noir is just now on the market and is current release. 93+ 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: The pride of Tasmania

This wine is true to the Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir style: intensely aromatic, medium bodied with savoury spice notes, along with purity of varietal expression, fresh acidity and ripe tannins.

Roll over: The pride of Tasmania

Classic Tolpuddle backbone of acidity, yellow grapefruit, lemon pith, and some flinty minerality. A combination of lightness, delicacy and texture.

Roll over: This is an elegant and immensely pleasurable vintage.

 "Our old vines are over 35 years old and produce an exceptionally intense and aromatic wine that reflects the unique character of its terroir. With its deep, clear ruby red hue, it reveals notes of black fruits and excellent strength and concentration. As with all Gevrey-Chambertin, it requires a few years of patience before reaching its full potential." - Domaine Faiveley

Roll over: A wine for Chablis lovers because of its freshness 

Consisting of roughly equal parts Montmains, Butteaux and Forêts (the three sous-climats of Montmains), the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains offers up aromas of crisp green apple, white flowers, bee pollen and oyster shell. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, it's taut and precise, concluding with a saline finish. Robert Parker.com

Roll over: Mid cherry red. Scented with red fruits and very slightly stemmy. A touch of vanilla sweetness too.  Jancis Robinson.com

These old vines are over 35 years old and produce an exceptionally intense and aromatic wine that reflects the unique character of its terroir. With its deep, clear ruby red hue, it reveals notes of black fruits and excellent strength and concentration.

"The nose is elegant, and racy and offers a certain power. It reveals notes of boysenberry, violet, and more slightly – notes of bright wild berries associated with touches of smoke, pepper, bright black plum as well as hints of spice, camphor and a subtle almost saline note. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, minerality, a tangy frame, a nice freshness, subtlety, a certain straightness (all in elegance), harmony, finesse, tension as well as a nice delicate touch on the palate. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/creamy blackberry, juicy/tangy blackcurrant, and more slightly – notes of pulpy raspberry associated with touches of cornflower, violet, juicy/tangy cherry as well as slight hints of small tangy/bright blue fruits, vanilla, toast and nutmeg. The tannins are soft and elegant. Good length." - 93/100, VertdeVin

Roll over: Weingut Egon Müller is a renowned wine estate based just outside the village of Wiltingen.