Superstars

A vibrant red wine with aromas of tobacco, dark cherry, rich red forest fruits and floral notes of lavender and violet. The palate has hints of white truffle, hazelnut, and warm spices with glimpses of anise and clove, rounded off with herbaceous undertones. The finish is gripping, velvety and lingering.

Country: Lebanon

Region: Mount Lebanon and Bekaa Valley

Grapes: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre

ABV: 13.5%

Produced at the historic Monastery of St Jean, whose building dates back to 1696. 75% of the grapes are from the Monastery’s own vineyards in Khenshara & Ajaltoun at 1000m altitude on the Maritime side of Mount Lebanon. The remaining 25% is Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bekaa Valley.

Food match: Moroccan lamb tagine

Astonishingly good Riesling from an outstanding New Zealand producer. Concentrated, explosive in the mouth! Dry, flavoursome Riesling with honeysuckle notes, aromatic nectarine, baked peach, apricot, lime and preserved lemon. One glass will not be enough!

Country: New Zealand

Region: North Canterbury

ABV: 15.5%

Grapes: Riesling

Read Wine Advocate Erin Larkin’s wonderful review of Pegasus from latest trip to the South Island

'From there, I went to Pegasus Bay, and it was here that I was so impacted. This is an iconic Riesling producer—Rieslings worth crossing the ocean for. They age slowly and gracefully, employ botrytis as a textural aid and are thundering examples of Riesling from New Zealand. I can’t overstate that. These are collectors’ wines. I have seen older examples in Australia over the years, served blind, that have taken the room by storm. My thanks to Winemaker Matt Donaldson for the afternoon; it took us in directions I think neither of us expected.'

Pegasus Bay Riesling Bel Canto 2022 – 94 points.

The 2022 Bel Canto Dry Riesling leads with loquat, kumquat and orange rind. In the mouth, the wine is floral, detailed and full—it is actually quite wide, spreading to all corners of the mouth, leaving a trail of fine chalky texture in its wake. Really good. Textural. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Erin Larkin Wine Advocate

This expressive, barrel-fermented Viognier seduces you with the beautiful perfume of honeysuckle and orange blossom and a textured palate of apricot, kiwi and pineapple.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier

ABV: 13.5%

Lismore Wine

Aromatic, medium to full bodied and powerful, with good extraction of the sweet flavours of black ripe fruits. Elegant with good texture and firm tannins, giving wine great ageing potential. A touch of mint, with lavender notes. Firm, well balanced oak and long finish with fresh, spicy, integrated mouthfeel.

Country: South Africa

Region: Wellington

ABV: 14%

Grape: Shiraz

Andreas Wine

Andreas only produce this wine - and they are good at it. The wine is aged for 18 months in French and American oak and bottle matured for another year. Winemaker Shaun Meyeridricks' first first vintage was in 2018, since joining Andreas from Boekenhoutskloof where he was previously making exemplary Shiraz.

A very attractive honeyed nose, with lifted yellow fruits and more golden tropical elements such as mango, guava and pineapple. It has a particularly tropical character and a very fresh feel on the palate, with steely minerality and a zippy background acidity giving invigorating tartness to keep the wine luscious and buoyant. The rounded, approachable finish has good length.

Country: France

Region: Loire Valley

Grapes: Chenin Blanc

ABV: 12%

VEGAN

Food Match: Rich starters like foie gras or sweetbreads and will see you through to dessert or cheese.

Now this is something very special! Dried apricot and fresh ginger with hints of honeysuckle through to a concentrated palate with fresh, clean acidity which supports the extravagance of the palate. Astonishingly good. The 2023 vintage was a challenging one, particularly late in the season, which was cool and wet, as a result, the production is significantly down, however the quality is truly exceptional.

Country: South Africa

Region: Greyton, Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier

ABV: 14%

Lismore Wine

Californian wine pioneer, Samantha O'Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir in Greyton, Western Cape, South Africa. Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range in Southern Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born alongside her family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 metres, which are chilled by cold winters and nourished by the African sun, produces classic, cool climate wines which are rich, complex and hand crafted with care.

Concentrated, complex and rich, oak matured Douro red, made from a blend of selected parcels from the best vineyards on the estate.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: 74% Touriga Nacional, 13% Sousão, 12% Touriga Franca, 1% Fernão Pires

ABV: 13.5%

Elegant and complex nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. Hints of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Wonderfully rich and fleshy  from hand harvested bushvine grown grapes in Franschhoek. Wild Yeast fermented. Beautifully poised and elegant. Excellent food wine.

Country: South Africa

Region: Franschhoek

Grapes: 100% Semillon

ABV: 13%

Ideal with white fish dishes, fresh oysters and prawns.

https://www.wildeberg.co.za/

Certified Heritage Vineyards planted in 1905.

This is a traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape serious and brooding and benefits from a little time to breath and open up. The palate is complex with herby, tapenade flavours and ripe textured tannins balancing the significant 15% alcohol which is expertly managed and integrated.

Country: France

Region: Châteauneuf - du-Pape

ABV: 15%

Grapes: Grenache 65%, Syrah 20%, Mourvedre 10%

Rich, ripe, dense and complex. Notes of tobacco, dark chocolate and blackberries. Abundant flavours of dark berries are released alongside earthy and creamy notes that warm the mouth. Stunning wine.

Country: Spain

Region: Aragon

Grapes: Garnacha

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Perfect with herb crusted roast leg of lamb and rosemary potatoes.

Light, delicate and floral with notes of crushed wild strawberries. Delicious! 

Forest aromas and concentrated fruit aromas of blueberries and cherrys mark this red wine. Its elegant ruby colour is the feature of the filigree nature that one then finds on the palate. Lively fruit, ripe tannins and a long sophisticated finish are the strong characteristics of this delightful variety and the wine it produces.

Country: Germany

Region: Pfalz

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.5%

A Cellar Door Wines team favourite. Powerful and aromatic nose of ripe citrus and stone fruits. The palate has concentrated lychee, honeysuckle, nectarines and pineapple.

Country: USA

Region: Oregon

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Pinot Gris

Concentrated cassis and plum with a hint of liquorice. Some evolved secondary and tertiary characteristics of forest floor leaves and tobacco.  A classic, elegant Bordeaux red drinking very well now.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux, Haut Medoc

Grapes: 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 13.5%

Food match: fillet steak and frites or boeuf bourguignon

Succulent black cherry aroma, bright but delicate and hints of forest floor, with underlying floral and spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is powerful, with silk-textured length.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food match:

Beef bourguignon with mushroom or braised lamb shanks.

In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.

After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The prospect of a suitable farm in Elgin intrigued Andrew and on driving through the valley, he became excited by the beauty of the area. Surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere and Forestry the property had no agricultural neighbours. The rolling hills and the drive up the mountain to where the farm was situated, 420 meters above sea level, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was love at first sight.

As he drove in and stopped in front of a rather run down Herbert Baker homestead, he felt, “this is where I would like to live”, and the view from the front of the house overlooking the Elgin Valley below, made up his mind.

We love this wine! You can't miss this bottle on the shelf with its distinct tactile, voluptuous shape.  This wine is produced only in the best vintages. A deep pomegranate red; delicate floral and black cherry fruit aromas. Warm, plum and tamarind. Full bodied but soft with silky tannins and a long smooth finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

Travaglini Tre Vigne is the result of extensive research of the best characteristics of soil, and the blend of three historical vineyards. The Nebbiolo grapes from these vineyards are harvested during the first half of October. The grapes are gently crushed and are macerated for around 15 days in stainless steel. Maturation takes place over a 40 month period; 30 months of which 80% in Slovenian Oak and 20% aged separately for 10 months in French Barrique. The rest of the aging is in bottle before release.

Straw like colour with greenish hues. Attractive aromas of nectarine, hints of lemon zest and white flower notes. The pallet has great texture and depth and finishes with beautifully balanced acidity, long and flavoursome mid pallet with rich texture reflect conditions of the vintage.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13%

This is a Chardonnay of great purity, reflecting site and the season in which it was grown. Meticulous attention and care in the vineyard is most critical in allowing that expression. Elgin is one of the Cape’s coolest wine growing areas with favourable climatic, soil and topographic conditions.

A top notch wild and organic Bandol!

Mourvèdre at its best! Wild flavours of fresh earth, black pepper, cinnamon, bay, cloves and blackberry. The finish is fresh and quite dry. A great way to discover Mourvèdre-dominant wine.

Country: France

Region: Bandol

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Mourvèdre 70%, Grenache 20%, Cinsault 10%

Organic

Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles is an estate with a superb terroir and is widely recognised as one of the top three producers in the appellation. Jean-Marie Castell runs this small, traditional estate with just 10ha of vines on the famous red clay soil of Bandol. The estate is nestled in the protective hillsides of the Cadière d'Azur and benefits from a maritime climate. The domaine works with minimal intervention: extremely low yields, organic viticulture and and natural winemaking including very limited sulphur dioxide.

Single vineyard 'Dardi le Rose' is on the hill of Bussia, one of the great Barolo crus. The vines are grown at 300-350 metres above sea level, with a south westerly exposure. A small percentage of the wine is aged in Slovenian and French oak. Tino Colla describes the 2016 as the most perfect vintage of his 50 year experience. This wine is just superb. Don't miss out on getting hold of some and drinking it this festive season.

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

An all time staff favourite! This is the wine that will spark a lifelong interest in Nebbiolo and lead you to discover the beautiful wines of Piedmont.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

Food Match: A classic Piedmontese starter: vitello tonnato, which is thinly sliced, cold veal with a rich tuna sauce.

Deep purple/red colour with an opaque core. On the nose it is rich with sweet red and black berry notes, some vanilla and sweet spice. On the palate it is much weightier than the nose suggests.  Very opulent, but elegant and balanced at the same time.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 14%

Grape: Shiraz

Made from very small quantities of selected grapes from a specific block on the Andreas estate. Intense, concentrated dark red colour with aromas of black ripe fruit and sweet spice. The palate is richly raisined with hints of charcoal and earthy minerality, softened with a hint of white pepper.

Country: South Africa

Region: Wellington

ABV: 13.5%

Grape: Shiraz

Andreas Wine

An elegant Pouilly Fuissé showing aromas of fresh mint, peach and citrus that carry through to a fresh and mineral palate. A rich, complex and well balanced wine with remarkable vivacity on the finish.

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Grapes:  100% Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

Domaine Ferrand is situated in the village of Solutre ­Pouilly, in the heart of the Pouilly Fuisse appelation of Southern Burgundy. The domaine now comprises of just over 11 hectares of vineyards that have been passed down from Father to Son over 3 generations. Today the domaine is run by Madame Nadine Ferrand whose wines have been well reviewed by the Guide Hachette.

It boasts an intense, dark ruby colour. The wine is made with wild yeast, undergoing spontaneous fermentation and aged for 12 months in barrels. A flagship blend of red varieties with an unexpectedly complex aroma of dried plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, and strawberry. This medium-bodied wine features a rich berry flavour and a lingering, warm aftertaste.

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir

Country: Ukraine

Region: Kyiv, Odesa

ABV: 14%

Food pairing: red meat dishes such as steaks, ribs, various types of ham, and smoked meats

"BIOLOGIST craft winery” from the Kyiv region creates unique and unmatched wines. They have rented vineyards in the Odesa region (the majority of nowadays wines are made from these grapes) and a 1.5-hectare vineyard in the Kyiv region, which is experimental and biodynamic.

Fresh and floral with red currant and raspberry hints. A very elegant and minerally example of this native Sicilian variety. Delicate, soft red fruits and a subtle garrigue-ness.

Country: Italy

Region: Etna, Sicily

Grapes: 100% Nerelo Mascalese

ABV: 14%