Wine

Roll over: “The first real red wine to come out of New Zealand” - wine writer Nicholas Faith

Fine "old world" wine of first growth quality from a single vineyard planted in the 1970s at Matakana, Northland, New Zealand. The Antipodean -- "New Zealand's Lafite" -- is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, with harmony, fragrance, length and seamless integration of character.

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

Roll over: From a huge 3.78 ha holding of 40+ year old vines planted in shallow, high clay content soil sitting above a bed of solid limestone

Here the nose is firmly reduced and revealing nothing. Otherwise there is good punch on the lighter weight flavors that possess lovely delineation while displaying focused power on the firm, serious and austere finale. This is an excellent example of 'power without weight' and a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping. 90-92 pts Burghound

Roll over: Fresh, succulent stonefruit with a citrus backbone.

Chave's 2019 Hermitage Blanc delivers just the merest hint of toasted grain on the nose, accenting green peaches and waves of honeyed richness. It's full-bodied and concentrated but not overdone, with tremendous length and a hint of bitterness on the finish that left me wondering if this wine will need 20 years to show its best, or if it was still suffering a bit from being bottled in July 2021. RP95 Robert Parker.com

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: Fresh, succulent stonefruit with a citrus backbone.

I tasted five different lots that will be blended into the 2020 Hermitage Blanc, from Péléat, l'Ermite and three parts of Les Rocoules. Full-bodied, honeyed and rich, this should be another outstanding vintage for Chave's white, with the incredible lushness of the bigger wines balanced by the zestiness found at the top of Les Rocoules and the delicacy and freshness of L'Ermite. RP96-98 Robert Parker.com

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: Bold and structured.

The refined 2021 L'Hermitage was cropped at 37 hL/ha and bottled in early September 2023. It is laced with finely delineated orange rind, raspberry, red cherry, red plum, dried herbs, pencil shavings, black cherry, crushed violet and cedar. Showing excellent tension on the medium-bodied palate, the 2021 brings it home with clarity and freshness. That being said, it won’t be as long lived as either the 2020 or 2022. 94 pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

Roll over: Fresh, succulent stonefruit with a citrus backbone.

Vinified from grapes that were harvested as late as the 26th of September, the 2021 L'Hermitage Blanc was cropped at 38 hL/ha, above the levels of 2022. It dazzles with vivid spring blossom, honeysuckle, lemon peel, white peach, quince, apricot and discrete cedar aromas. Medium-bodied and immaculately balanced by bright acidity, this is an athletic L'Hermitage Blanc with marked freshness and energy. A saline aftertaste wraps up the sapid finish. Outstanding. 96 pts Nicolas Greinacher – Vinous

Roll over: Domaine des Comtes Lafon is a wine producer in Burgundy making some of the most lauded (and highly priced) white wines from Chardonnay in the region. It is located in Meursault in the Côte de Beaune subregion

“A cool, pure and wonderfully elegant if distinctly restrained nose reluctantly presents its aromas of citrus, floral and spiced apple. On the palate this is almost a blend of the Genevrières and Perrières as there is some of each attribute on the middleweight flavors including minerality, intensity and focused power on the refined, balanced and highly complex finale. This is excellent and should age accordingly.”

93-95 pts – Outstanding - Burghound

Roll over: Weingut Egon Müller crafts the most consistently magical Rieslings on the planet.

A cornucopia of ripe summer fruits and flowers pour from the glass of this spectacular Saar Auslese; it’s difficult to tear yourself away from the nose. Serious concentration on the medium- to full-bodied palate but in a self-confidently relaxed manner. No drama, much less pomposity. Instead, ever more compelling as it flows over the palate. Fabulous textural complexity at the finely nuanced finish. Decades of ageing potential! 98 points James Suckling.com