September Releases

The 2020 Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. It's a rich and dark expression this vintage, with layers of blackberry, black plum and cassis. There's lots of complexity, with freshly roasted coffee, dark chocolate and dry spice. The tannins are bold too, and densely packed, adding to the rich texture here.

Caro is the Argentina project for the Rothschilds of Chateau Lafite, along with the pioneering Catena family. The nose is complex with aromas of red fruits, figs, and gentle notes of blue berries. On the palate the wine is round with soft tannins and refreshing acidity, displaying good density and persistence, well balanced. 2021 is the coolest vintage Mendoza has seen in years, and the result is one of the freshest, most vibrant Malbec blends we've tried.

The 2018 Opus One is an elegant expression of this iconic wine, with silky tannins and lifted floral perfume on the nose. There's tons of finesse and aromatics throughout and it has a refreshing medium-bodied quality, with some earthy, truffle hints beginning to emerge with some time in bottle.

Overture is the second wine of Opus One and is a multi-vintage blend. This is the ideal way to experience this iconic estate sooner after bottling. This year it's got considerable richness with the usual plush dark fruit character and creamy vanilla complexity.

The 2019 vintage from the legendary collaboration between Robert Mondavi and Mouton-Rothschild is an absolute delight, showing to full effect the restrained power and vibrancy that comes from both influences. This vintage is a more textural, structured wine, with potential to develop beautifully in bottle. Alongside dense dark berry fruit is a lifted floral tone and subtle earthy notes.

One of the original Napa Cabernets, Beaulieu is a consistent performer, with classic Rutherford black berry flavours and dusty tannins. There's a lot of rich fruitcake on the nose and palate but there's some more lifted red fruit this vintage with floral top notes.

The Bibi Graetz 2021 Colore is considered the best wine yet to come from this cult Tuscan estate. The fruit comes from the Lamole area, from vines planted at 600m altitude. There's always a lot of power in Colore, compared to its stablemate Testamatta. And in 2021 there's noticeable energy with more lifted violet and wild herb aromas. The tannins are elegant, silky, and give an earthy balance to the sweet cherry fruit that builds on the palate.

The 2021 Testamatta is sourced from various hilltop vineyards with a bit of altitude providing some coolness to this warm vintage. The philosophy here is to make transparent, approachable wines, so techniques avoid anything that might create too much concentration in the final wine. There's a savoury, earthy element to the wine that brings that approachable, gourmand feel they are looking for, and the fresh black cherry fruit and violet, rose petal complexity builds on that appetising quality. The tannins are lithe and subtly frame the wine, leaving it feeling classic and effortless in style.

The second wine of renowned Clos Apalta, with pure, ripe berry fruit character, hints of sweet spice and long, complex flavours of violets, pepper, chocolate and damson.

The top wine from Casa Lapostolle, this Clos Apalta is full of concentrated blackberry, blueberry fruit, with expressive and layered tobacco and floral notes. It's rich, complex and full bodied, with bags of potential to age, and at this early stage has lots of densely packed, ripe tannins. Focussed, polished and seriously impressive.

Nicolas Catena is the celebrated pioneer of winemaking in Argentina, and this celebrated flagship wine has all the hallmarks of a great Argentinian red. This year it is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 21% Malbec. It's the first time ever that Franc is greater than Malbec, to compensate the warm and dry conditions. With pure blue and black fruit, layers of spice, lifted floral notes and subtle earthy notes, it's bright and aromatic, showing a deft balance of cool, chalky influence and vibrant fruit.

The Adrianna Vineyard is considered the Grand Cru site of South America, high in the Andes with soils full of limestone and gravel. This wine shows that combination of cool conditions and masses of intense sunshine, and in the warmth of 2020 is on the richer side. There's plenty of black plum, damson and blueberry fruit, with chalky layers, fresh mint, and vanilla spice. They achieved only tiny yields this year, and only 5,700 bottles were made.

95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Bold and expressive with fresh blackcurrant and blackberry, plus some kirsch and blackcurrant jam aromas. Licorice and aromatic soft fruit like damson and black plum on the palate, with smoky tobacco, wild sage and licorice. There's lots of grippy tannin, and a lifted herbal refreshing finish.

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 3% Merlot. Deep and brooding, with warming bramble fruit aromas, fresh blackcurrant and fresh black plum. There's also tons of complexity with tobacco, wild sage (so typical of this site), cedar and thyme. On the palate there's a fresh, crunchy feel to the fruit, and grainy, robust tannins.

2021 was an excellent vintage for white wines in Bordeaux, known for their electric acidity, mineral tones and zesty fruit character. As a result, although we always expect great things for the white wine of Cheval Blanc, in 2021 they have hit new heights. The wine has a brilliant, crystalline feel on the palate, and generous, rich citrus and white peach fruit builds on the palate.

A blend of 84.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot. Now with over 10 years in bottle, the 2011 from Château Latour maintains a core of blackberry, bramble fruit with complex dried mint, smoke, ferrous notes and spice. There are well-defined, silky tannins and a delicacy initially, before it unfurls into a powerful wine, with a lot of structure and concentration considering the medium-weight vintage.

Troplong Mondot has arguably gone through the biggest transformation in St-Emilion, moving from a high-octane, powerful style to more elegant expressions with greater tension and bright limestone character. Mondot is their second wine, and comes from two vineyards, one of which is a walled plot, shared with Jacques Thienpont's L'If. It's 100% Merlot, and is full of bright red plum and black cherry fruit, fresh mint, and lavender. The tannins are chalky but with a rounded edge that adds to the silky feel of this wine.