Latest Releases

09 June 2011

This morning see’s the release from Château Langoa Barton which is offered at @ £530.00 IB per case. The British critics’ clearly loving their 2010...

92-94 Neal Martin
“Tasted at the chateau and twice at the UGC, the Langoa Barton has a very ripe, well-defined bouquet with dark berried fruits and just a hint of oyster shell. The palate is silky smooth, cashmere tannins, very pure with dark cherries a touch of cassis, very refined and composed, slips down the throat beautifully. So pure and beguiling, there is a crystalline quality to this Langoa that is utterly compelling. Drink 2018- Tasted April 2011”.

18.0 Steven Spurrier
“Very good extraction of supple, succulent ripe fruit, a beautifully lifted and long palate, the length and harmony of a great Langoa. Drink 2018-35”

17.5 Jancis Robinson
“Tasted 17 Feb: Blend just done. Very dark purple. Really rather exotic on the nose. Very lustrous and luscious. Extremely ripe and hedonistic - like 2009 but with more tannin.
Tasted blind 8 Apr: Mid crimson. Notably ripe with black fruits on the nose. Then sinew and a cool finish but much more luscious than some St-Juliens. Not tarted up. A very good ambassador for the vintage's characteristics. Dry finish. Very fine tannins. Succulent fruit on the nose. Lively and polished and with real vitality and pzazz. Good lift yet the solid framework of a fine St-Julien. Still very embryonic with lots of fine tannins”.

We also have Château Talbot @ £460.00 IB per case

91-93 Robert Parker
“Abundant amounts of sweet, up-front fruit give this wine a precocious appeal compared to many of its brethren. It exhibits a dense plum/ruby/purple hue along with sweet boysenberry, black currant, cherry, smoke and licorice aromas and flavors. This deep, medium to full-bodied, classic Talbot should be approachable when released, and age effortlessly for 15 or more years”.

90-92 Neal Martin, 92-93 James Suckling & 17.0 each from Jancis Robinson / Steven Spurrier

We are delighted to offer Château Cantenac Brown @ £425.00 IB per case which has received some fantastic reviews...

92-94+ Robert Parker
“One of the finest Cantenac Browns made in the last half century, the 2010 may be even more impressive than the 2009. Sweet, fat notes of blackberries, forest floor and earth emerge from this inky/purple-colored beauty. The tannins are slightly more serious and elevated than in the 2009, but the big, bold, full-bodied 2010 represents a remarkable turn around for this estate, which has now produced three straight top-flight vintages. It should drink well for 25-35 years”

94-95 James Suckling
“Chewy and structured, with ripe fruit and ripe tannins. Tar and dark fruit character. Full body. Super polished. Very Cantenac-Brown in personality. Best in a long time from here”

91-93 Neal Martin & 17.5 Steven Spurrier

And finally to Château Pichon Comtesse Lalande’s second wine, Reserve de la Comtesse available @ £355.00 IB per case however, I really can’t see any point in buying this wine. Put simply, it’s too expensive and there’s much better wine available for your money. We preferred La Bernadotte @ £145.00 IB per case which is owned & managed by Château Pichon Lalande and enjoys the same wine making team.

We are delighted to offer our first ‘Super-Second’ Château Leoville Poyferré which we highly recommend @ £1,000.00 IB per case (For interest, the 2009 is currently @ £1,250.00 IB per case) SOLD OUT

95-98 Robert Parker
“One of the prodigious wines of the vintage, the Cuvelier family has produced an outstanding 2010 that must tip the scales at 14.5+% alcohol. It boasts an opaque purple color in addition to a sweet perfume of spring flowers, black raspberries, creme de cassis and a hint of spicy oak. This seamlessly constructed St.-Julien possesses massive concentration, moderately high tannins, abundant glycerin, an unctuous texture, remarkably fresh acids and wonderful precision. It will benefit from 5-6 years of cellaring and last 30-35 years”.

18.5 Steven Spurrier
“Fine extraction of black fruits, both richer and more tannic than the Barton, very good ripeness for long ageing. Drink 2020-40”.

93-95 Neal Martin
“Tasted at the chateau and twice at the UGC, the Leoville Poyferre is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, a pH of 3.7 and alcohol at 14%. It has a spellbinding, extraordinarily pure bouquet that in an obtuse way reminds me of a Romanee St. Vivant. So much panache. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins, one of the most sensual of all the 2010s that I have tasted. Seamless cashmere texture towards the finish with dark cherries, blueberry and crème de cassis all wrapped up in a veil of vanilla. Superb. Drink 2015- Tasted April 2011”.

17.5 Jancis Robinson
“Very concentrated and luscious looking. Exceptionally deep crimson. Very fine and sophisticated on the nose. Both concentration and lift but then perhaps just a bit too concentrated on the palate? Certainly very attention grabbing with lots of very ripe, very dry fruit. Lustrous. With some welcoming appeal. Pure, luscious Médoc Cabernet. Very long and vibrant”.

Over in the Haut-Medoc we are delighted to offer and whole-heartedly endorse Château La Lagune, which has received super (and well deserved) scores from all the leading critics’ @ £455.00 IB per case

Truly a delicious wine and worth every penny....

93-96 Robert Parker
Is this 2005 deja vu "all over again"? Proprietress Caroline Frey has elevated the quality at La Lagune since acquiring this estate, and the 2010 is another superb effort as well as one of the better values in Bordeaux. An opaque purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of black raspberries, black currants, licorice and subtle smoke and graphite. While uber-concentrated, full-bodied and pure, it retains both elegance and precision as well as a sensational 45-second finish. The suppleness of the tannins and stunning opulence suggest it will drink beautifully for 25+ years.

18.0 Steven Spurrier
“Excellent concentration of ripe black fruits, spice and oak blended in, subtle and supple power and depth, great length and balance, a triumph, even better than 2009. Drink 2016-30”

92-94 Neal Martin
“A blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, the La Lagune already has an expressive bouquet with ripe blackberry, bilberry, cedar and tobacco with good clarity and brightness. The palate is simple classic Cabernet with lovely, savoury-tinged black fruits, good acidity, very harmonious and natural towards the finish. Reserved but great length and persistency in the mouth, this is a great, great La Lagune. Tasted April 2011”.