Benchmark sauvignon and definitive Sancerre, this taut and fine style presents well-balanced concentration of grapefruit and lime with subtle notes of green pea. It’s framed in pure and tight lemon juice acidity of considerable persistence and accurate line, making it appealing right away and infusing the endurance to improve for a few years. $52 at […]

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Tucked in behind Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin may not be a rockstar commune of the Côte de Beaune, but its best premier cru sites can produce outstanding chardonnay, often at realistic prices. This one represents very impressive white Burgundy that out-performs its price and its appellation. Excellent fruit concentration of accurate and pure white peach, lemon and […]

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I’ve been impressed with the trajectory of Fèvre in recent times, bringing its oak under control and its fruit into focus. Vaillons is my favourite of its 2010 premier crus. This vineyard expresses lovely taut acidity in this vintage, drawing the wine out long, fine and pure, with fresh grapefruit and lemon expression. Excellent persistence […]

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Egon Müller is one of Germany’s most revered names in riesling, capturing the slatey minerality of the Mosel with exacting skill. His 2011 Kabinett presents a pure bouquet of preserved lemon, lime drops and a hint of kerosene. The palate melds generous and long-lingering candied citrus rind with glacé peach and a taut backbone of […]

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From Christopher Cannan’s estate in Priorat, this blend of mostly grenache, with a little carignan and syrah and a touch of cabernet, spends a year in mostly older oak to preserve its crunchy berry fruit definition and black plum skin depth. This is a wine of great tannin poise, with very fine structure of soil-derived […]

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Vosne-Romanée is home to such fabled names as Méo-Camuzet and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, two of the most revered names in pinot noir on the planet. Value for money in this celebrated village is a different story, hence I was delighted to discover Francois Feuillet for the first time recently. Yes, it’s a three digit […]

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The balance of acidity is the secret of all truly great sweet wines, and this medium sweet Mosel style from Egon Müller is a benchmark example, its profound backbone of razor-sharp acidity drawing its finish on a knife-edge of linear persistence. Outstanding line and length bring focus and definition to lime, clove, baked apple and […]

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Single vineyard, high altitude sauvignon is unheard of for $8.50 (direct) and 2013 is one of the best from Mike Press yet. It’s been harvested at the optimum moment of ripeness, capturing crunchy pink lady apples, lemon zest, guava and blackcurrant bud, with a fragrant air of lilies. High altitude acidity defines a taut spine, […]

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Has authentic Heathcote ever been seen before at $10 (Wine List Australia, Aussie Wines, Nillumbik Cellars and No Frills)? Inspired by the shape of Côte du Rhône wines, this is an accurate expression of the savoury restraint, black fruit depth and earthy tannin structure of northern Heathcote, spiced up with the subtle exotic perfume of […]

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Thorne-Clarke not only took the top trophy in The Great Australian Red last year, it also secured the trophy for The Best Wine Under $20 with its great value Terra Barossa blend. It sings of the great 2010 vintage in succulent blackcurrants, mulberries, plums and black cherries, with subtle complexity of game, supported by firm, […]

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