Latest Releases

08 June 2011

Today starts with Z&B's perennial favourite and one of the "wines of the vintage" Château Pontet Canet, which we have faithfully followed since their wonderful 2005 vintage... It's clearly evident that Pontet Canet is pushing the boundaries of quality year-on-year (now 100% organic bio-dynamic) and regularly achieves, if not exceeds levels, which most super-seconds aspire to.

Our first tranche allocation are generous and these will be offered to customers who have supported Pontet Canet over past 2 vintages @ £1,180.00 IB per case SOLD OUT

Pontet Canet will be releasing a further tranches later. Therefore, we have to wait for their second tranche price /& allocation before we can release this for general sale.

96-100 Robert Parker
“Pontet-Canet's 2010 harvest took place between September 29 and October 17 (this vineyard is one of the few in Bordeaux that is fully certified as biodynamic) and the final blend was 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that achieved nearly 15% natural alcohol. A remarkable, full-bodied effort (as was the estate's 2009 and 2008), like so many recent vintages from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, it is of first-growth quality (some may even argue that it eclipses several first-growths). Dense purple to the rim, it offers classic notes of creme de cassis, graphite, subtle smoke and spring flowers. Multidimensional with massive concentration as well as vivid purity, precision and freshness, this is another astonishing effort from an obsessive/compulsive proprietor who is doing everything right. On the downside, this 2010 will require a decade of cellaring and should evolve for 50+ years. It will be fascinating to drink it side by side with the 2009 and 2008”.

97-98 James Suckling
“What a nose of black currants, minerals and blueberries. Flowers too. Licorice. Full bodied, with a wonderful texture of super refined tannins and a long, long finish. A beautiful concentration of fruit and purity and precision. So clear and focused. Super, super long. The tannins and finish are all in balance. This is the first vintage completely certified for biodynamic. Like a Swiss watch ? A Lange! 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 percent Merlot, 20 percent Cabernet Franc, 1 percent Petit Verdot”

18.5 Steven Spurrier (Decnater.com)
“Masses of concentrated cassis fruit, but already has wild violet fragrance of the greatest Pauillacs, superb middle sweetness, perfect structure and length, perhaps more elegant than Pontet-Canet's great 2009. Drink 2016-35”

93-95 Neal Martin
“The Pontet Canet has a very pure bouquet that you could almost compare to a Burgundy. Blackberry, dark cherries, a touch of mint and graphite, exceptionally well defined, flowering with 3-4 minutes in the glass. The palate is full-bodied with very fine but firm, tensile tannins, perhaps even more purity than the 2009, not a million miles away (both geographically and stylistically) from Mouton-Rothschild. The finish is very smooth with a sorbet-like freshness, firm grip, long in the mouth towards the finish with some crème de cassis and blueberry towards the finish. The Merlot content lends this a little more opulence than some of the other Pauillac 2010s. There is a lot of volume to this wine, really fills the mouth with a sweet, sensual finish, but keep find myself yearning for more Cabernet Sauvignon . Drink 2020-2050. Tasted March 2011.”

Château Lynch Bages second wine, Echo de Lynch Bages is now available @ £295.00 IB per case and their white wine, Blanc de Lynch @ £260.00 IB per case.

In Pessac-Léognan Château Malartic Lagravière is available @ £415.00 IB per case and their white wine @ £535.00 IB per case

93-95 Neal Martin
“The Malartic-Lagraviere has a very well defined, quite floral bouquet with crushed violets, small dark cherries and a touch of dark plum. Very good clarity and refinement. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile tannins, very good acidity lending tension and focus towards the finish. This is a fantastic Pessac that deserves a long-term berth in your cellar. Tasted April 2011”.

We can now offer Château Cos d’Estournel’s second wine, Les Pagodes de Cos which we are delighted to offer at a ‘special’ price of £440.00 IB per case

90-93 Robert Parker
“Possibly the finest Pagodes the estate has produced, as Jean-Guillaume Prats said, this 2010 is better than many vintages of Cos d'Estournel produced in the sixties and seventies. Forty-five percent of the production made it into this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot that achieved 14.1% alcohol naturally. Plump and fat with an abundant concentration of black fruits as well as outstanding intensity, purity and texture, this beauty should drink well for 10-15 years”

91-93 Neal Martin
“Picked between 27th September and 10th October, the Pagodes is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot delivering 14.13% alcohol with a pH of 3.51. The Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the nose with blackberry, pencil shavings, a touch of plum and fine mineralité. The palate has great tension on the entry with a citric freshness, very good weight and yet it glides through to a harmonious finish. This is a lovely Pagodes. Drink 2012- Tasted March 2011”.

17.0 from both Jancis Robinson & Steven Spurrier