Tasted April 2024. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV. Classic Pauillac characteristics of savoury-tinged cassis, bramble and graphite. The tannins are fine, densely packed and ripe. Fresh black fruit continues on the palate but with plenty of cleansing acidity and mineral notes that create a mouthwatering finish, along with creamy oak influence. Intense and concentrated but pure, vibrant, and with everything in good proportion.

Tasted April 2024. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV. Classic Pauillac characteristics of savoury-tinged cassis, bramble and graphite. The tannins are fine, densely packed and ripe. Fresh black fruit continues on the palate but with plenty of cleansing acidity and mineral notes that create a mouthwatering finish, along with creamy oak influence. Intense and concentrated but pure, vibrant, and with everything in good proportion.

Tasted April 2024. 80% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Unctuous initially, with cascading refreshing acidity. Fresh orange, lemon, and pear.

Tasted April 2024. Sémillon 65%, Sauvignon Blanc 35%. 13.8% ABV and 90% new barrels. Rich with botrytis character, with honey, spice, subtle mushroom, and marmalade. Then cascading freshness and precision on the palate with a bright finish.

Tasted April 2024. 13.7% ABV. 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 17% Petit Verdot. Château Angludet, run by the Sichel family, is farmed biodynamically, and since 2019 they have aged nearly half the wine in amphorae (this year 40%). This lends the barrel sample tasted a distinct aromatic purity, with damson, blackberry and plum complemented by some creamy, toasty notes from 35% new barrels.

Tasted April 2024. Montaiguillon in 2023 is classic Bordeaux at its best, and remains one of our easiest recommendations. There’s lots of fresh bramble fruit and spiced plum, with graphite and subtle truffle as it opens in the glass. Balanced and proportioned, it has lots of smooth tannin and a refreshing, appetising finish.

2015 La Grande Année sees Bollinger on fighting form: striking the balance between opulence and elegance like no one else can. It is generous, voluptuous and refined, encapsulating what Bollinger aptly calls “the velvet bubble”. Its backbone of Pinot Noir gives depth and complexity, and will ensure good ageing potential. But it’s worth noting that the house has chosen precisely the right time to release the 2015: it is a sensational glass right now, so if the temptation is strong, do not hesitate to open this straight away and enjoy the amplitude as it unfolds on the palate. It will not disappoint.

One of Loosen and the Mosel’s greatest vineyard sites on rich blue slate soil. (The Sundial of Wehlen) is a precipitously steep and rocky vineyard that yields wines with a lively mineral character and a delicate, zingy acidity that perfectly complements the expression of white peach and lemon fruits on the palate. The 24 months ageing gives the wine amazing complexity and length.

The Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard forms a massive amphitheatre of red, volcanic sandstone and red slate that is unlike any other site in the Mosel region. It’s compact, energetic and concentrated with a core of tantalising exotic fruits and spicy aromas.

This 2017, sourced from 54 year old vines in La Morra’s Brunate vineyard, is rich and concentrated, with plenty of dark fruit, cedar and liquorice notes. Brunate is always among Barolo’s densest bottlings, but Vietti’s expression of the vineyard is as balanced a wine as we’ve tasted. It’s incredibly precise, and the extraction is masterfully handled.