Cellar Raids: Day Two

72 year old vines. Lovely freshness here, dark fruit, tension, power, salinity and nervous energy. This is intense and powerful, with loads of salinity: so mineral, but also lots of burnt orange peel, and some almond kernal. It’s so complex and very well balanced: an astonishing Barolo from a real magician.

Billecart-Salmon might be one of the most recognisable names in Champagne, but it remains a family-run business to this day, with its cellars in the heart of the Montagne de Reims. Their Brut Réserve is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and is made in a wonderfully harmonious style. It is chalky and zesty, with bright, crunchy apple fruit on the palate and a zippy freshness. Its 50%+ reserve wine in the blend gives it complexity and character.

Sangiovese from the single Boggina vineyard, aged in Amphora. The result is as pure an expression of Sangiovese as you’ll find. Lovely grippy tannins, soaring aromatics, and a savoury, long finish. This was one of our discoveries of the year.

Blended from six lieux-dits, there's wonderful tension here between ripeness and mineral purity, with wonderfully perfumed and expressive Syrah fruit. The tannins are ripe and supple: this is a complete wine.

As the name suggests, this is higher up than the surrounding vineyards, and its elevation affords it a freshness and precision. Alongside the decadent berry fruit and garrigue herbs are notes of baked earth and roasted spices. What a wonderful Châteauneuf.

The Bussia comes from vines around 30 years old from certain south west facing plots (Cicala, Romirasco and Colonnello) within the famous and highly regarded Bussia vineyard. from the Cicala, plots within the Bussia vineyard. 2019 is a year for the Nebbiolo lovers, a vintage that showcases the grape perfectly and has been described by many as a classic vintage. Expect wild flowers, cherries and liquorice spice and concentration that is supported by firm, chalky tannins.

Only made in the best vintages, the 890 from Rioja Alta celebrates the year the estate was founded. This 2010 is developing beautifully, with a creamy and rich nose of black fruit and sweet spice. Alongside there is increasing complexity of dried fruits, vanilla, sweet tobacco, and macerated strawberries. The palate builds and it finishes with incredible length. The tannins are dense but beginning to soften, and there is lovely freshness on the finish.

This Vermut is made with a mix of Fino sherry and sweet Moscatel infused with botanicals and herbs that present themselves on the aroma profile. Expect rosemary, juniper, sage, chamomile and citrus notes with a grapefruit pithiness on the palate.

Sourced from a 2.5 hectare parcel at the top of Falletto, the red label Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva is one of Barolo’s most iconic wines. Dark and layered, the 2017 iteration of the wine offers up an aromatic intensity that’s perfectly wrapped in suave, impeccably judged tannins. This year's top Barolo from Bruno Giacosa is outstanding, and yet again it’s well worth seeking out.

Subtle and brooding, with wild cherry, black plum and dried herbs. There's decent structure here with linear, densely-packed tannins.

This single vineyard situated in the prestigious village of La Morra is planted to 60 year old vines at the top of the hill on dark sand over clay soils. The profile is juicy and concentrated with red plum, cherries and liquorice spice with very approachable tannins and a delight to drink now.

The Classic Cuvée is a multi-vintage blend, coming from the hundreds of hectares of vineyards owned by Nyetimber. This iteration comprises a majority of 2019 base wine but also has a considerable percentage of reserve wines in the blend (dating back to 2007). It’s a brilliant introduction to the range. Creamy and fruit forward, there’s lovely structure, with a long and chalky finish.

3,600 bottles. So elegant on the nose, so silky, with notes of rose hip, and so much purity of tannins, with fine-boned tannins. This has lots of energy, with amazing salinity and raspberry fruit, mouth watering tannins on the finish: very fine and long.

The 2019 Seña is a vibrant, ripe, yet incredibly refined red from this iconic estate. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 15% Carmenère, and 4% Petit Verdot, it shows refinement of tannins, poise, and a long and stony finish. There’s tons of energy here, and a slightly smoky finish. This is quintessentially Chilean, but with real poise.

Fossacolle is a small 4 hectare property, which enables the owner and winemaker Stefano Bambagioni to be meticulous in his approach. The 2018 Brunello is a real stand out displaying great vibrancy and zesty acidity. Black cherry and wild berry perfume is supported by a spice and hints of leather, with a sweet and juicy core that is balanced beautifully with firm, chalky tannins.

This wine comes from the lower terraces of the Achleiten vineyard at around 300 metres and is largely planted on loess and white sand. Juicy in its profile with hints of jasmine and wild herbs, expect fresh apricot, peach and lemon citrus notes with a racy acidity and salty finish.

Cathy Corison stuck to her guns throughout the Parker era, keeping her wines elegant, charming and more medium-bodied than her neighbours, with capacity to age for decades. The price, relative to estates nearby, also remains restrained. It has sunny, ripe black fruit with a crunchy edge, and plenty of appetising, savoury cedar and sweet tobacco. There are plenty of fine, savoury tannins, but the 2020 has an effusive generosity and softness making it very approachable at this very early stage in its development.

Named after the Poniente winds, these sherries are produced from the el Aljibe vineyard in Pago Añina, and aged in a restored house tucked among the vines. Complex layers of dried fruits, salted almonds, hazelnuts and candied orange peel.

A blend of 30% from La Morra’s Rive vineyard, bringing flesh and body, 30% from Castiglione Falletto’s Scarrone, giving an earthiness and savouriness, and 40% from Serralunga d’Alba’s Baudana & Broglio, bringing tension and brilliance.This is pale and translucent, with pure fruit, silky tannins, and stunning energy. This is a brilliant wine, and is not to be missed

The Romirasco vineyard is 50 – 55 years old and situated on the highest point of the hill of Bussia, with a lot of the fruit going into their iconic Barolo ‘Granbussia’. This is a full bodied wine with a mix of red and black berry fruits, spice and leather notes adding layers of complexity. The firm, chalky tannins of the 2019 vintage provide enough support to the wine's concentration and generosity on the palate. With only 6000 bottles produced, this wine has it all and is well worth ageing in the cellar for several years.

Comtes de Champagne Brut Rosé is a rare beast next to the white, with its own paricular following. It's a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, of which 16% is red wine blended in for the core of red fruit and delicate colour it imparts the wine.

Kashy Khaledi was once Creative Director for Capitol Records, before he founded Ashes & Diamonds, where he collaborates with superstar winemakers like Diana Snowden-Seysses (of Domaine Dujac and Snowden Vineyards) and Steve Matthiasson, using fruit from fantastic California vineyards. It's Diana who makes this, the Mountain Cuvée from Bates Ranch vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is an historic, four-generation-old ranch in the same area of the famous Ridge Monte Bello. The Cabernet grows at 2,100 ft above sea level, and the steep slopes here, along with cool breezes, keep the vines in check, and the result is a vibrant, elegant, restrained style of wine, with plenty of herbal, savoury character alongside the plump black fruit. They use a combination of American and French oak to add layers of sweet spice and cedar notes.

Sometimes overlooked, those that do so do so at their peril: the Hermitage Rouge really is a baby Gréal in 2017. Silky and fine but with oodles of depth, it’s a simply stunning Syrah.

Mayacamas is one of the most historic estates in the entire US, founded in the 1880s and rising the prominence in the famous Judgement of Paris tasting. Their Chardonnay eschews the usual richness of Napa, instead showing plenty of fresh citrus, steely mineral notes as well as some riper stone fruit. These wines age beautifully, if you can resist.

The Steinriegel site comes from a the northern part of the valley and is dominated by a chalk silicate and marble soil. Toni Bodenstein believes that this wine produces his fruitier styles, especially with a mid palate concentration. Fresh mango, pink grapefruit and red apple notes lead the charge, yet the palate is brought into focus with the wine’s crisp and energetic acidity.

The Caley is Yalumba’s flagship wine, and they began blending Coonawarra cabernet with Barossa shiraz more than 50 years ago. This is now a hallmark of the great Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz, quite rightly regarded next to Penfolds Grange in terms of quality but made in tiny quantities. Densely packed, fragrant black berries with a chalky minerality and complex creamy, nutty notes from oak. There’s plenty of fine tannin and a beautiful long finish.

While Sebastian Fürst is best known for his Pinot Noirs, don't overlook this brilliant Chardonnay from the limestone soils of the village of Astheim, far from the estate's cellar in Burgstadt. This is incredibly Burgundian, with wonderfully expressive notes of hazelnut and peach, and lots of salinity. A real delight.

This wine comes from Prager’s highest terraces in the Achleiten vineyard with over 100+ different clones in a small parcel that creates big genetic variation and diversity. Grapefruit and lemon citrus profile with white pepper and ginger spice layers. The acidity is focused and zesty with a long and saline finish.

Blossom, lemon verbena and grapefruit notes combine with a salty and crushed stone character on the palate. The acidity is piercing and the core is tightly wound. This is a serious Riesling that has so much to offer

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.

Domaine des Ardoisières is one of the hottest addresses in the Savoie. This red is a blend of 65% Gamay de Chautagne, 25% Mondeuse, and 10% Persan. It is brimming with dark cherry notes and a spicy lift, with the cool smoky freshness of this high-altitude region. Supple, salty tannins, and a long balanced finish.

Riesling may not be the first grape variety you’d expect to find in the rolling hills of the Langhe. But Aldo Vajra was fascinated by the grape variety while at university, and decided to try his hand at making a few bottles of the grape, planting his first vineyard in 1985. Now made from a blend of clones from Alsace, Geisenheim, and the Pfalz, from two separate vineyards, one of which is the legendary Barolo vineyard of Fossati, this is a taut yet generous dry Riesling which, like the Nebbiolos of the region will require patience to show its very best.

This Vermut blends Fino, sweet, white Moscatel and a small amount of Tintilla de Rota with a mix of botanicals and herbs. Vanilla, wild strawberries, sour cherries and notes of parma violets, this is delicious paired with tonic, prosecco or cava or as part of a cocktail.

From 25 year old plantings in the Astheim vineyard, the yields are extremely low producing very concentrated grapes and wine. There are yellow fruit and citrus notes at the forefront, yet the wine's quality comes through on the finish with crushed stones and saltiness.

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is only ever made in the great vintages, and always with the great man’s personal preference in mind: a robust and full-bodied Champagne that develops incredible depth with age. The exact blend, as ever, is a closely guarded secret, but Pinot plays a starring role, with just "a zest of Chardonnay" Hubert de Billy, great-great-grandson of Pol Roger, says. The Pinot dominance gives structure, depth, and breadth to the wine, whilst Chardonnay gives a chalky, vibrant, savoury top note and fresh thread of acidity. All the fruit comes from grand cru vineyards which were already under vine in Churchill’s lifetime. 2015 was a warm year, yet the wine displays deceptively high acidity, making it both toothsome and refreshing. It is another great release from the exciting 2015 vintage.

The celebrated release from Bollinger of the much admired 2012 vintage. This is truly great Champagne.

As the slope of grand cru Chapelle-Chambertin levels off, it becomes this well placed premier cru. It’s elegant and fresh, stony and driven. There’s impressive freshness, minerality and purity, and the energy in the wine drives it along.

2015 is a superb vintage in Champagne. Cristal, in its distinctive clear glass, is one of the world's most celebrated prestige cuvée Champagnes. The 2015 is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, and comes from biodynamically farmed vineyards 100% owned by Louis Roederer. The wine is intense, dynamic, energetic.

This Côte-Rôtie cuvée is wonderfully elegant, with violets, gorgeously pure raspberry, herbs and spice. It’s beautifully balanced and fresh, with lacy acidity and great length.

Chapoutier is an undisputed master of Syrah in the Northern Rhone, and they have taken their know how to this south-west estate in the Côtes du Roussillon. It's an unusual wine for the region in that it is 100% Syrah (most wines here are a blend of varieties). Structured and deep.

Pale lemon in colour, this Fino has an attractive lemon citrus profile that supports the yeasty, salty and savoury notes that are a result of the biological ageing. The palate has a refreshing acidity and saltiness on the palate.

With only 3000 bottles produced, the fruit for this wine comes from the oldest vineyard plots of Vigna Romirasco, Vigna Cicala and Vigna Colonello and is only produced in the best vintages. The wine is aged for 33 months in large Slavonian casks and spent a further 9 years in bottle before release. Expect fresh and dried fruits combined with liquorice, mushrooms, blood orange and wild flowers. The tannins have resolved and balance perfectly with the silky core.

Viña del Olivo was revolutionary in Rioja in the early 1970s for being Rioja's first single estate, modelled on the Bordeaux concept. Under the meticulous winemaking of Jorge Navascués, this wine and the 2020 vintage is exceptional. A wonderful perfume of red cherries, rose petals and cranberries are supported by sweet and savoury spice. There are hints of lapsang souchong tea and crushed stones as well as some herbs. The tannins have a great presence, as well as an attractive suppleness.

The 2011 Comtes de Champagne is a thrilling, scintillating edition of this much-loved fizz. It's tense and rippling with energy on the nose, with wild flowers and just a hint of tarragon. The palate is vibrant and grippy, with so much finesse and focus. This is astonishingly pure and long, a wine that wows with its understated concentration and minerality. Bravo.

This single vineyard might not be classified as a grand cru, but it is one of Olivier Humbrecht’s most cherished sites. It sits just above Clos St Hune on triassic limestone. It is a high altitude site, protected by a forest. It’s a comparatively cool site in Alsace, and its one of the domaine's later ripening sites, and produces wines with a signature verve and freshness. Subtle, taut, and elegant. It needs a year or two to unfurl. 4.0g/l residual sugar (dry)

This estate from northern Italy in Friulano is sourced from three vineyards; Boghis, Ciampagnis and Vie di Romans. A blend of Malvasia, Riesling and Tocai Friulano, this white blend is aromatic and displays delicious grapey, blossom and jasmine notes combined with citrus and stone fruits. The palate carefully balances a glycerol texture and fresh acidity.

The Conca Tre Pile vineyard, on a steeply sloping part of the Bussia Soprana hill, is home to Barbera vines of up to 45 years old. Aldo Conterno is one of the most iconic winemaking names originating from the region and the wines never fail to disappoint. Some ageing in French barrique gives additional spice and complexity and support the dark red plum and bramble notes as well as the hints of herbs and black pepper. The palate is juicy and the tannins are supple and well integrated making this a very approachable wine.

From high up the slope, this is a cool, refined and elegant Gevrey. The fruit is juicy and precise, with a fine texture. And a good, fresh finish.

The baby Monte Bello in 2020 is delicious, and thankfully the devastating fires of the vintage bypassed Ridge's vineyard here is the Santa Cruz Mountains. Yields of Petit Verdot and Merlot were poor this year, leaving the 2020 with a high 94% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. This has Monte Bello's characteristic balance, with fresh black berry fruit and delicate earthy spice. It offers a taste of the finesse this site can produce.

The 2019 IX Estate is one of the finest wines from Napa Valley, situated in Pritchard Hill on volcanic soils. Rich, christmas cake aromas, blackberry jam, baked plum and cassis, with lots of savoury, wild sage character so typical of Pritchard Hill. Some graphite and incense developing. Dense, ripe, chocolatey tannins and a lovely lifted acid line.

Wow. Intense and powerful. So complex. Words just don’t do this brilliant Châteauneuf justice: one of France’s greatest wines.

Marc had half the amount of fruit in 2016 as 2015, and it shows in this wine’s concentration. The texture is superb, with pure red fruits, smoke and spice of lovely depth.

A touch of coconut is present along with the cinnamon-spiced oak here. Again the fruit core is compact, dense and concentrated with the promise of power and weight to follow. The palate is incredibly taut with intense, tightly bound raspberry and dark cherry. The tannins are ripe, full, and assertive while the acidity brings the trademark long, juicy character. This is currently showing all the potential of a beautifully constructed Gran Reserva. An exciting prospect indeed.

This has a floral nose with tropical fruit and nice texture. There’s good depth and energy, with a long, long length.Very nicely judged.

Lovingly named after Maria’s grandmother, Stella Flora is the only white wine made at the picturesque Maria Pia Castelli estate in the hills of east Italy. Dominated by Pecorino, this is a blend of local Marche grapes with time on the skins giving a beautiful golden colour to the wine.There’s a maritime influence from the nearby Adriatic sea and the wine is remarkably textured, with notes of orange peel and lots of herbal lift.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. This wine has an attractive generosity of red and black fruits with sweet spice and cedar notes adding layers to this delightful 2020 vintage of Ornellaia. The tannins have a grip to them, yet there is a sweetness that rounds out these edges very gracefully.

Viña del Olivo was revolutionary in Rioja in the early 1970s for being Rioja's first single estate, modelled on the Bordeaux concept. Under the meticulous winemaking of Jorge Navascués, this wine and the 2020 vintage is exceptional. A wonderful perfume of red cherries, rose petals and cranberries are supported by sweet and savoury spice. There are hints of lapsang souchong tea and crushed stones as well as some herbs. The tannins have a great presence, as well as an attractive suppleness.

These are the oldest vines of the domaine, and were planted in 1902. Their concentration and complexity shows on the nose, which is chalky, floral, pretty, and spicy. The wine has so much energy, tightly coiled, and sinewy, with a pomegranate weight and floral power.

"Another spectacular effort from L’Evangile, the 2010 is a close rival to the 2009 and should be fascinating to compare with that vintage over the next 30 or so years. Stunningly rich and black/purple in color, the 2010 L’Evangile offers up the tell-tale floral note as well as black raspberry jam intermixed with cassis and kirsch. There are also ethereal floral notes and a hint of background oak. The pH is slightly above average (3.7 versus the pH of 4.0 that the 2009 and 2000 possessed). This is a massive, rich, very impressive L’Evangile, and readers should take note of the “+” in my rating, which could certainly push this wine way up there. Remarkably, I was shocked when I learned that this wine was aged in 100% new oak, as the oak is a background element in this blockbuster l’Evangile. Forget it for 3-5 years, and drink it over the following 30-40. " 98+ points, Robert Parker

A mini Ornellaia, this second wine is made up of a Bordeaux blend of Merlot (44%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Cabernet Franc (13%) and Petit Verdot (13%). 2020 saw rather changeable weather with very long periods followed by heavy rainfall and drops in temperature, resulting in a longer harvest than usual to enable the different varieties were picked at optimum ripeness and condition. A combination of hand picking, sorting tables at the winery as well as the addition of an optical sorter in 2016 has resulted in a wine that is of impressive quality. The wine is aged in French barriques (25% new) for 15 months before being bottled and remains in bottle for a futher 6 months prior to release. The winemaker believes the 2020 is reminiscent of 2018, 2013 and 2010, and having tasted all three recently, this wine is destined for great things. Expect red plums and red wild berry perfume, combined with liquorice spice and herbal undertones.

Querciabella’s Super Tuscan, the 2017 Camartina is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese. The trick here is the estate’s high-altitude vineyards, bringing freshness and poise alongside astonishing depth of flavour and complexity. One of Italy’s greatest wines, this shouldn’t be missed.

A vineyard that is only 0.73 hectares and sits on the eastern part of the village on very steep terraces, close to Achleiten this cuvée is often more austere than some of the estate’s other wines. It is largely gneiss soils and incredibly poor soils that produce grapes with low yield yet with great concentration. Crushed stones, smoke with ginger and lemon verbena herbal notes. The acidity is crisp and nervy and the length is incredibly long. Would benefit from decanting.

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is only ever made in the great vintages, and always with the great man’s personal preference in mind: a robust and full-bodied Champagne that develops incredible depth with age. The exact blend, as ever, is a closely guarded secret, but Pinot plays a starring role, with just "a zest of Chardonnay" Hubert de Billy, great-great-grandson of Pol Roger, says. The Pinot dominance gives structure, depth, and breadth to the wine, whilst Chardonnay gives a chalky, vibrant, savoury top note and fresh thread of acidity. All the fruit comes from grand cru vineyards which were already under vine in Churchill’s lifetime. 2015 was a warm year, yet the wine displays deceptively high acidity, making it both toothsome and refreshing. It is another great release from the exciting 2015 vintage.

Recently disgorged 2008 vintage Bollinger is as good in real life as it is on paper. 2008 is a giant amongst recent vintages: the wines are long lived, powerful, and deep. The Bollinger original release was an instant hit. It’s a blend of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay, and the R.D has seen extended ageing, finally disgorged in October 2022.This extra ageing has added weight and depth to this already extraordinary wine, that opens with a nutty, savoury aroma. The palate is compact at first, with incredible energy, before unfurling in a magnificent wave of baked orchard fruit, hazelnut toast and sensational freshness.

Calcareous soils with similar profile to parts of Burgundy, full of marine fossils. This is a late ripening site with cool influences. Elegant and delicate with zesty, citrus acidity. There is a golden apple flavour too with delicate mineral notes on the finish. This is all about bright freshness and delicacy at this early stage, with a tangy, pithy finish.

Adelphi is best known as a highly regarded independent bottler. However this is a blend from its private stock, kept in a solera system. The blend is a mystery, but contains whiskies from across Scotland, including Islay, Speyside and Campbeltown. The whisky is always bottled non-chill filtered and with no added colour. The nose is full of rich fruit, caramel and butterscotch. There’s a spiciness to the palate and a long clean finish.

This is the top wine from the historic Wirra Wirra winery, one of the pioneers in McLaren Vale. Chook Block is from a single biodynamically farmed vineyard plot and is only released in the top vintages. There's lots of complex, ripe fruit here with red and black cherry, raspberry, cassis and mulberry, covered in dark chocolate and spice. There's more leathery notes as the palate continues, and iron-filing-like mineral notes. There's plenty of oak character and bold structure around the core of dense fruit. Long and concentrated on the finish.

Intense and powerful on the nose, this 2017 Saffredi is masterful. Careful selection ensured that the fruit remained fresh, with crunchy dark berries, and notes of sea spray, tapenade, and spice. The palate is so refined and elegant, with a finish that lasts for minutes.

Fossacolle is in the careful hands of Stefano Bambagioni who has brought a new lease of life into this 4 hectare property. The Riserva isn't produced every year and only small volumes are made with a selection of the best plots from some of their older plantings. Savoury in its profile with coffee, black olive and clove notes with hints of dried red berry fruits.