Cellar Circle exclusives

Strictly limited to 6 bottles per customer

The domaine used to - technically - rent these vines from Jean-Marc’s mother, Lydie’s grandmother. She passed away three years ago and since then the domaine has inherited the two parcels, from which they make this fabulous wine. This year they made three barrels and used one new barrel for ageing. It has a power and depth that sets it apart from the premiers crus. For the moment the wine is a little closed, just giving a glimpse of the power and intensity below the surface. With a little air there are flickers of mineral and ocean spray, floral notes of acacia and white flowers and harmonious stone fruit. A wine that will need time but supremely impressive.

Clos de la Barre is the domaine’s monopole 2.1-hectare vineyard which lies just behind the cellar. The wine always has a bright acidity, married with ripe stone fruit and a salty tang on the finish. A hint of Danish pastry makes it typically Meursault.

The domaine only bought this parcel in 2011, and it still feels like a newcomer on their list, even though it’s been a decade of releases already. The clay soils of the vineyard make a wonderfully rich wine that never shows any heaviness. It is crystalline with great presence.

A unmistakably classic Monte Bello showing all the signatures of this top tier estate: intensity, depth and nuance. The aromatics are vivid, violet-tinged with accents of spice. The palate has superb definition with a core of ripe, supple bramble fruit. A wine of remarkable purity and intensity, this will no doubt become a future classic.

A wonderfully floral wine with plenty of spice, there are flavours of dark cherry, cocoa nibs and liquorice. The palate is fresh and detailed with a mid-weight feel in the mouth and silky and charming finish that shows a lot of delicacy.

A finessed style of Masseto that opens with such an enticing nose of coffee, dark chocolate, and incense. The palate is silky and open knit with flavours of blood orange, dark cherry and plum with seamless and refined tannins. There is freshness and nuance to the wine that is really captivating and a finish that is fully of intensity.

So expressive on the nose, it opens with aromas of dried mint, a little vanilla and leather. Subtle notes of chocolate and baking spice mingle with the ripe strawberry and red berry fruits. Excellent freshness that runs through the palate, there is a beautiful savoury character that emerges with a little earth and grilled meat. While offering so much charm, it is clearly a truly classic Rioja that will age gracefully over the coming decades.

Charles van Canneyt’s Vosne is a mini-masterclass in its style. It comes from a single parcel called Basses Mazières, just below Suchots. It is smoky, spiced, and has Vosne’s velvet power.

Stéphane’s parcel of 65-year-old vines lies right in the heart of the old Clos, the original part of the appellation. With such an amazing terroir, Stéphane comments that ‘70% of the job is done’! It shows delicate salinity and fragrant fruit depth. Understated but hugely impressive.

This parcel, right in the centre of the village, has been owned by the Lafarge family since 2005. It has an ideal mid-slope position, and produces a floral wine with great tension and an intense fruit core: quintessential Volnay. A more ethereal feel this year with fine texture and a lift of wild strawberry and cherry blossom.

Real freshness and energy to this wine with cool summer berry fruit, delicate spice notes of incense and pepper, with a floral note emerging with a little air. The palate is precise with tender, melting tannins and a pure core of red and dark cherry fruit. A feeling of succlence on the finish that makes this so enticing.

Where the Bonnes Mares is muscular and persuasive, this is fragrant and fine, with a compelling thread of crystalline red fruit reaching to an astonishing finish. Clos de Bèze is a slightly steeper and warmer site than Chambertin next door, and the potential heights of complexity and concentration it can produce are remarkable.

Nicole has three parcels within this Grand Cru, one in the northwest corner (where everyone wants to be) tucked up next to Musigny. The three add complexity and layers to the finished wine. This is so lively with some dried herbs, white pepper and coffee grounds that lead to distinctly red berry fruit on the palate. The tannin is fine-grained with an athletic feel that promises a long life ahead.

The domaine purchased this plot of Vosne Premier Cru in the 1990s, and since then has been making this superb cuvée. Creamy, aromatic red fruit notes announce a serious Suchots. Impressive spice and structure.

This is the pinnacle of the Hudelot-Noëllat cellar. It shows such an amplitude of fruit, such fine, textural layers, and a beautifully perfumed length.

This is a Bonnes Mares of distinction: it is the only part of the vineyard to fall within Morey-Saint-Denis (the rest is in Chambolle-Musigny). It is muscular, yet tender, with a deep and concentrated core. There is an unbelievable length on display here, with a finish that fans out across the palate.