Cellar Raids: Day One

This 2018 is showing great purity of red cherry and berry fruit, supported by liquorice and clove spice. Hints of blood orange and a stony minerality add complexity, combined with the wine's chalky tannins and vibrant acidity.

Château Calon-Ségur in St-Estèphe is a brilliant property, that's hugely sought after. This, the second wine, is a brilliant purchase: one that you should stock up on.

Château Capbern is a real gem of our Bordeaux range. From St-Estèphe, and made by the same team as high-achiever Calon-Ségur, this is a wine that will thrill with its energy and complexity, and with its price. It’s a wine that comes very highly recommended: stock up at En Primeur prices, while you have the chance.

There’s lots of creamy merlot character on the 2020 Evangile, a Pomerol which gets better every year we taste it. Lovely silkiness to the tannins, that build through and coat the palate. Very detailed and feel that slight savoury cabernet franc on the finish. Very pure and insanely long. Gets better and better.

Montevetrano is a blend of Aglianico, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It's an intense, powerful wine, but what marks it out is the freshness and textured layers here. A brilliant southern Italian red.

Grapes are sourced from Müller’s exceptional estate holdings in Wiltinger Braunfels, Oberemmeler Rosenberg and Saarburger Rausch. The 2022 has a ripeness of fruit and displays juicy peach and fresh apricot combined with a juicy acidity as well as lime and steely notes with this beautiful off dry style of Riesling.

This Chenin Blanc is different from all the other Chenins in our range: it comes from Elgin, one of the coolest grape-growing regions in South Africa. Planted on Bokkeveld Shale - not all that dissimilar to the soils of the Loire’s Savennières - this is as cool and precise as South African Chenin gets.

Deep and brooding, very mineral and fine, striking tannic structure and there's a depth to the fruit. Power, balance and intensity. Really impressively put together with energy and length.

One of the lesser known Nuits premiers crus, this vineyard is shared with Domaine Robert Chevillon, just below Aux Thorey, on the Vosne side of the appellation. Its clay-rich soils have yielded a big-shouldered, powerful Nuits, with a complex and surprisingly silky palate with an ample, pleasing finish.

A very bold style of New World Cabernet Sauvignon, the Bin 707 is fermented and matured in new American oak barrels, giving the wine powerful flavours of vanilla and coconut. Linear tannins typical of Cabernet provide the structure for long ageing.

An impressive Le Gay, this opens with notes of violets, chocolate, and ripe purple fruit. The palate finds the perfect balance between freshness and exuberence with fleshy bramble fruit clothing the wine's ripe tannin. This ends with a long, supple finish and accents of liquorice and brine.

From the Baudana cru in Serralunga, this is nervy and ethereal, with notes of grapefruit and peach skin, and so much lift on the palate. Very Serralunga, with the refined, mouthwatering tannins we’ve come to expect from Clerico.

2020 was characterised by a warm summer, yet temperatures over the growing season were relatively cool and therefore the wine has a fantastic juxtaposition of concentration and weight combined with an energy and purity that you come to expect from the very best Mosel Rieslings. Jasmine, lime and white peach aromas are supported with a lively acidity and almost steely profile. Subtle perfume notes of verbena and mint add layers of complexity.

An outstanding value Pomerol, now owned by Calon-Segur this is undoubtedly one to watch. An insider's tip from the Pomerol plateau, this has energy, power, and ripeness in perfect balance. A beauty.

The Scharzhof Riesling is sourced from holdings in different famous vineyard sites including the Saarburger Rausch, the Oberemmeler Rosenberg, the Wiltinger Kupp, and the Wiltinger Braunfels. While this is an off-dry wine with just 8.5% alcohol the sweetness is barely noticeable with a laser light focus, lip-smacking freshness and a rush of bright citrus and green mango fruit. There are notes of jasmine, lime and white peach aromas are supported with a lively acidity and almost steely profile. Subtle perfume notes of verbena and mint add layers of complexity.

Berliquet, tucked away between the illustrious names of St-Emilion, really is one to watch. 2017 was the first vintage under the new owners, who also run Chateaux Rauzan Segla and Canon. It’s full of rich plum and blackberry fruit with a mineral complexity alongside woody herbs and licquorice spice. Elegant and silky with soft tannins.

The 2020 Pavie-Macquin is another lovely wine from this impressive Thienpont-owned estate. Fine tannins and intense fruit, with lots of spice and minerality on the finish. Really well put together in 2020.

Scharzhofberger is one of the most highly sought after sites in Germany and the world. A steep, high altitude site that overlooks the estate, the Kabinett displays saline and steely notes combined with jasmine and lemon citrus with a juiciness and a touch of ginger on the finish.

The 2018 Rathfinny Classic Cuvée is a stunning fizz from a remarkably beautiful estate. There’s a richness on the nose that comes from the perfect growing season: ripe citrus and a hint of redcurrants, while the palate is tense, chalky, and impeccably balanced. This is beautifully delicious today, but will also age wonderfully.

Braune Kupp is a warmer site compared to Egon’s Scharzhofberger and it displays more ginger and spice, with florals and citrus notes taking a more supporting role. There is a juiciness and breadth on the core, a wonderfully enticing wine that is very easy to drink.

This wine is precise and finishes on the saline and citrus. There are elements of juiciness with fleshy peach, mandarin and white blossom notes as well as smoky and flinty notes that add layers of complexity.

This is a focused wine that displays great minerality and focus. The acidity is nervy and the aromas are steely and flinty with a lime citrus core and a delicious concentration and length.

2020 is an exceptional vintage for Kabinett and the prized site of Wehlener Sonnenuhr simply excels. Expect jasmine, white peach and flinty notes along with a racy core.

Dom Ruinart breaks the mould in 2010. It's a vintage that hasn't yielded universally celebrated wines in Champagne, but the Dom Ruinart is an exception to the rule, and one to get seriously excited about. The critics have heaped praise on it, with Antonio Galloni stating "the 2010 Dom Ruinart is one of the most impressive Champagnes ever made here. If there is anything better, I don't think I have tasted it!" It has huge vinous energy and wonderful complexity. This is an absolute classic in the making. 4g/l dosage.

This is really fine, with lovely balance. It’s so well woven together: big and broad but also with nerve. A generous style of Riesling, but also with elegance and finesse on the finish.

This is a hugely powerful and impressive Châteauneuf. Old vines (100 years+), low yields, slightly cooler north-facing terraces, and Jaun-Paul's magic touch make for an exquisite wine. Very limited. The 2012 is now hitting its stride, with mature savoury notes, leather and spice coming through the juicy Grenache fruit.

Dominio del Águila was established in 2010 by Jorge Monzón and his partner Isabel Rodero in the small town of La Aguilera in the Ribera del Duero and since their arrival have been making waves in the wine world. They manage to achieve breathtaking elegance in their wines, focused on small volumes and high quality, these are not your typical Ribera del Duero fruit and alcohol bombs. The Canta la Perdiz is a single vineyard parcel that is made up of a field blend (principally Tempranillo with a mix of Carignan, Bruñal, Bobal and Albillo) of mainly 100 year old, ungrafted vines. The organically grown grapes are hand harvested and foot trodden and later spend over 30 months in oak prior to bottling. Despite the wine’s concentration and density, it still manages to portray great minerality and focus. Expect bramble fruits and spice combined with blood orange and wild strawberries. The tannins are fine grained yet present and the acidity remains refreshing and lively, and the wine’s length is exceptionally long.

P2 - or Plénitude 2 - is a fascinating wine to taste. It comes about when the team at Dom Pérignon hold back a small portion of vintage Champagne in their cellars of Hautvillers. For a further 10 years after the wine’s initial release, these bottles age on lees and gain in richness and complexity. So in total, it means the wine has spent almost two decades before disgorgement. This extra time adds harmony, complexity, and intensity.

Lovely intensity and power. There's so much depth and concentration here, spanning floral notes to deep dark fruits, bound up with lovely tension and elegance. This is beautiful. The finish is nicely balanced with a cool, saline finish and more spice and flowers. Quite brilliant.

This much anticipated release from Dom Pérignon shows the rich style of the vintage combined with exceptional tension born of the wine's long ageing before release. It's a striking contrast to the 2008, whose taut austerity warrants patience and contemplation. The 2009 on the other hand, is voluptuous and enveloping, right from the off. It is a huge triumph for chef de cave, Vincent Chaperon, and his team.

Another top cuvee, made from vines planted in 1901 in Pignam and La Crau, on sand, it’s named after their father Pierre, not a reference to stone. Amazing lift and energy, so much texture and intensity, silky and lovely tannins, mouthwatering finish. Brilliant.

When asked whether the Château was having to change anything to compensate for climate change, Marie Descotis, who heads up the Château's research and development department, explained that their terroir is proving to be perfect for the somewhat warmer and drier conditions over the last few years, allowing their Cabernet Sauvignon to flourish. The blend this year is made up of 86% of this Cabernet, 10% Merlot and the rest split between Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The resultant wine is the most concentrated they have ever produced, yet it is also incredibly poised and balanced. Dark berry fruits, notes of woodsmoke and spice come through on the nose. The palate is immediately fresh and pure, with a layered sense of fine tannin, depth and power. There is a graphite-like grip to the structure, a definite minerality and a core of cool-natured, classic fruit. Despite the concentration and density in the wine, the balance is such as to give it an almost approachable sensation. Beautiful rather than pretty, this is an elegant and refined wine that shows what could be achieved in 2011 with great terroir and a deft hand.

The 2017 Petite Lune is everything we want from everyday claret, and more. Notes of blueberries and fresh plums on the nose, with loads of finesse to the tannins and a very long and savoury finish. This is far more complex, concentrated, and pure than the price would suggest. Go long: it won’t disappoint.

Dubbed the ‘baby Grange’, this blend of Cabernet and Shiraz creates a massive complexity of dark fruit flavours, with large oak barrels adding delicate sweet spice flavours. Mouthwatering acidity and the tannins are approachable and silky. The perfect way to enjoy what makes Penfolds so celebrated.

2002 is an outstanding vintage in Champagne, and a huge success story at Billecart-Salmon. This cuvée is a blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%), and brings the voluptuous and exhilarating character of the vintage. It's a full-throttle 2002, with volume and energy.

“Bousselots” means “little bumps”, but this premier cru’s clay-rich soils make for a rounded and approachable Nuits-Saint-Georges. Complex and generous, with plenty of cool fruit coming from that clay in the soil.

Scharzhofberger is one of the most highly sought after sites in Germany and the world. A steep, high altitude site that overlooks the estate, the Auslese demonstrates tropical fruit aromas of dried mango and apricot combined with honey blossom and hints of marmalade. There is a luscious core that is balanced rather elegantly with a nervy acidity.

From deep red iron-rich soils, this is a rich, expressive wine with ripe plum, blueberry, cassis fruit. The tannins are typical of Cabernet, linear and tightly-packed with a slight drying quality at this early stage. There's a seam of fresh acid running through the wine, cutting through the richness on the palate, and subtle spicy notes are developing on the long finish.

From one of Côte-Rôtie’s most famous lieux-dits, and this lives up to the billing, exuding power and depth. It’s classically-styled, with floral and herbal characters as well as juicy black fruits. There’s tremendous energy and freshness, and the finish is cool and pure.

Attractive notes of white peach and apricot on the nose, with a hint of zesty citrus, giving this an immediate sense of poise. On the palate, this is balanced and appealing. Intense without being cloying, finishing very pure and fresh.

Decanter: High acidity balances high sugar. Intriguing muscadelle floweriness. Marvellous finesse. 19 points.

The grapes are sourced from 9 vineyards spread across 5 villages, although predominantly Serralunga. Rose and violets and subtle dried cranberry combined with liquorice spice and truffle notes. The tannins are significant, yet the wine’s concentrated core is more than adequate to withstand their presence.

This is a highlight of the range this year. The wine has an energy and focus, yet is still accessible and so delicious to be drinking now.

Inky and brooding in colour, the 2018 Cheval Blanc has freshness with so much power, there's length and juicy fruit. Notes of spice and wild berries, with amazing refinement of tannins and cool fruit, too. Impeccable balance.

Sourced from across the Barbaresco region, from trusted suppliers, this is a wonderfully fragrant example of the region's everyday grape variety.

The iconic wine from Vega Sicilia is made up predominantly of 97% Tino Fino (Tempranillo) and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are planted on various plots on the Ribera slopes that benefit from more than 19 different soil types. The wine ages for close to 10 years in wood and bottle. A mix of American and French oak is used to create a wine with concentration and finesse. The 2013 was cooler than the 2012 and the wine has an elegance and vibrancy.

Deep and brooding, very mineral and fine, striking tannic structure and there's a depth to the fruit. Power, balance and intensity. Really impressively put together with energy and length.

The 2019 Family Vineyards Pinot Noir is a stunning wine, that’s all about floral aromatics and focussed energy. It comes from four separate parcels on the estate, and shows incredible balance, purity of fruit, and savoury length. A brilliant Pinot Noir: the best value we know?

Valli founder and winemaker Grant Taylor has won international renown for his ability to showcase variations in different Otago subregions. This 2020, from Valli's cooler site in Bannockburn, is fresh, complex, expressive and elegant. It shows dark hedgerow fruits with an edge of cranberry and pomegranate, and some brambly, structural tannins giving the wine length and longevity. Lots of cracked pepper on the nose. Though enjoyable in its youth, this has the structure and concentration to age for many years.

Bin 28 has all the classic hallmarks of rich black fruit, dark chocolate, black pepper and vanilla on the nose and palate. It's rich and textured with mouth-coating, with broad tannins and creamy coconut flavours. An ideal warming red to drink by itself, but incredibly versatile with savoury, black olive notes developing in the background.

A brilliant cool climate Shiraz from the By Farr team in 2019. Bright and fresh with sappy berries alongside some riper black fruit. There’s some black pepper and earthiness and a silky texture.

From one of the most famous sites in Neive, this shows the classic character of the commune. Very delicate and fragrant, this shows the classic tar and roses that we love in so much great Nebbiolo. Very pretty, and alpine tinged.

Yet another wine that shows just how good the 2014 vintage is. Soaring aromatics, incredible finesse, and remarkable length. A complete wine.

Braune Kupp is a warmer site compared to Egon’s Scharzhofberger and the wine is riper and richer in profile. Expect tropical fruits with spice and quince notes adding layers of complexity.

Stéphane Ogier’s reputation is built on his Côte-Rôties. This cuvée is a blend of ten plots, mostly from the northern part of the appellation. It was first created in 2010, with Stéphane wanting to create a blended Côte-Rôtie that has all the signature style and spice of the hillside, but is accessible a little earlier than some of his single vineyard wines that are released later. It comes mostly from his younger vines, between 10 and 30 years old. It is bursting with Syrah black pepper and red currants, with a floral note lifting the palate. Salty tannins carry through onto the finish.