Superstars

Deep ruby red colour. Concentrated and rich with aromas of blueberry, mulberry, dried cherries, leather and cedar. The palate follows through with concentrated red and black fruit characters and a long, silky tannin finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany, Bolgheri D.O.P.

Grapes: 50% Cabernet Franc 30% Cabernet Sauvignon  20% Merlot

ABV: 14%

Food Match: It pairs wonderfully with rustic Tuscan dishes, such as pici with wild boar
ragu or Tuscan pappardelle, as well as with the delicate flavour of white
truffle.

The single vineyard wines from Mount Difficulty are made in limited quantities and are not produced every year. This wine has the distinctive classic Pipeclay cherry and blackberry with a slight spice kick and lovely light violet floral notes. Rich and sensuous mid palate
the wine finishes strongly with a combination of fruit and finely grained structured
tannins.

Country: New Zealand

Region: Bannockburn, Central Otago

ABV: 14%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Mt Difficulty is Central Otago’s leading artisan winegrower with a pioneering heritage
based in Bannockburn. With their founding vineyards established in 1992, Mt Difficulty owns some of the oldest vines having harnessed this once brutal terrain to produce premium wines that are among the finest in New Zealand. Mount Difficulty is Bannockburn’s highest peak and the backdrop to their vineyards – some of Bannockburn’s oldest. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do including using recycled glass made locally, a living roof to encourage biodiversity and new waste reduction technology to list just a few things they do.

Special Limited parcel wine from talented South African winemaker Izele Van Blerk. Drinking window 2025 - 2035. Only 1000 bottles made!

Full-bodied, intense and concentrated. Aromas and flavours blackcurrant, black cherry and ripe plum, with notes of tobacco, eucalyptus and subtle capsicum. The palate is rich and full with prominent fruit ripeness. Great tannic structure and a well balanced, lingering finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Ripe, round and elegant with classic, subtle butter, toast and pineapple notes balanced by juicy acidity. On the palate there are notes of lemony cream biscuits and key lime pie. A broad, decadent and ripe long finish. A top quality white Burgundy with more than 10 year aging potential.

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13%

Regarded as one of the best sites in the region, Montestefano does not disappoint! Complex aromas of red fruit, blood orange, sweet spice and cedar wood. Juicy, rich and full bodied with a mid palate and finish that goes on forever. Very elegant and refined. Special wine!

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 14.5%

97
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035
Antonio Galloni, September 2024
The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is one of the most elegant, polished wines in this range. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, mint and cedar are beautifully lifted. The tannins are remarkably polished for a young, recently bottled Riserva. I admire its poise and elegance. This is an especially refined edition of the Montestefano. In 2020, the mix of vineyards is a bit younger than in the past, as one of the blocks of older vineyards was replanted and not used. If I could have only one of the Riservas in 2020, this would be it!

A deliciously unique blend, with lime and rose petals, green apple, orange zest, backed with toasted almond characters, multi-layered and charmingly complex. Reflecting Pieter’s focus on overlooked, high-quality vineyards.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Fernão Pires, Semillon and Verdelho

ABV: 13.5%

The combination of fruit from 17 Western Cape sites, including Grenache Blanc (Piekenierskloof), Clairette Blanche and Fernão Pires (Swartland), plus Semillon (Elgin) and Verdelho (Voor Paardeberg), brought together in this defining blend created from Pieter's conscious brain. His favourite barrels, tank selections and varietals from a range of different sites across the winelands, then aged 10 months in old French oak.

Winemakers don't come much more creatively brilliant than the genius that is Pieter Walser. He's the sort of man that's had more fantastic ideas before breakfast than we manage in a whole week and that talent shines through in his wines. Each comes with a story often as captivating as they are mystifying so we've asked him to record a few to give you an insight into the magic behind the vino!

The nose is delicate, restrained and elegant with its grapefruit, greengage, chamomile and apple blossom aromas and whiffs of exotic spice. The floral character of the nose follows through onto a richly textured mid-palate, showing yellow peach, poached pear and nectarine against a backdrop of fresh mandarin and green fig flavours with integrated acidity and a full body. The ripe stone fruit character adds to the complexity on the palate and the spicy finish with hints of fenugreek, black cardamom and Cape fynbos complements a very balanced wine.

Country: South Africa

Region: Franschhoek Valley

Grapes: Semillon (97%), Muscat d'Alexandrie (3%)

ABV: 13.5%

Great with Cape Malay dishes such as beef baboti - a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping.

Tim Atkin MW
96 points. Boekenhoutskloof's world-class Semillon uses grapes from three distinct blocks in Franschhoek, planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942, combining these with 3% Muscat d'Alexandrie. Showing more acidity and restraint than the stunning 2020, and less of the struck match character, it has notes of lemongrass, custard and beeswax and a core of chiselled acidity. Drinking 2024-32

Rich plum and cherry character, buttressed with bright acidity and dusty tannins. It’s chewy yet polished.

Country: Italy

Region: Montalcino, Tuscany

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Sangiovese

Deep ruby red with violet hues. The Cabernet varieties show their muscles with dark small fruits like black currant, cherry and blackberry. The nose is rich, it starts fresh and then develops into Mediterranean scrub and black tea notes. The palate is voluminous with fine-grained and silky tannins. This wine has a long-lasting and flavourful finish. Drinking well now, but could keep for several years.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany, Bolgheri D.O.P.

Grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot.

ABV: 14%

Food Match: A wonderfully versatile wine—ideal with red meats, cheeses, and hearty
meat-based pasta dishes.

Aromatic and lifted nose of raspberry, plumb, white pepper and red berries. A beautifully layered, textural palate with wild strawberry and spice on the finish.

Country: Australia

Region: McLaren Vale

Grapes: Grenache

ABV: 14%

Food Matches: Moroccan lamb tagine

A very rare grape variety, mostly found in the Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife. The vines are 'pie franco' or ungrafted ancient specimens that thus far have managed to avoid the dreaded Phylloxera bug which devastated many European vineyards in the 19th century. The wine is complex, concentrated and flinty with aromas of green herbs, apples and quince. 6 months in barrel and on its lees has given the wine a beautiful texture and long, saline finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Tenerife

Grapes: Vijariego Blanco

ABV: 13.5%

Food Match: Seafood such as grilled prawns and calamari would work well with this wine.

Practicing organic, but not certified.

Perfect Pinot Noir! Only 24 barrels made of this, so snap it up while you can!

Ripe in dense black cherry, blueberry and raspberry. This wine has a delicious juiciness that keeps it balanced in the glass. A firmness of acidity supports the well-integrated tannins and lithe fruit, while the finish brings a swirl of cinnamon, baked red apple and vanilla. 

Country: USA

Region: Russian River Valley, California

ABV: 14%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Ripe cherry, blueberry, ripe plum skin and apricots. Sumptuous and full with a  hint of sweet spice on the mid-palate which leads to firm and velvety tannins on the finish.

Grapes: 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Petit Verdot, 17% Malbec,
7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot

Country: South Africa

Region: Simonsberg, Paarl

ABV: 14.5%

Food pairing: Beef rib

Intense ruby ­red colour, deep and complex nose; fruity with a prune and cherry jam aroma, notes of tobacco, slightly spicy. A full­ bodied, but elegant wine, soft and rich in fine tannin, with notes of cedar, cocoa, coffee and vanilla on the finish

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Primitivo

Food Match: BBQ Beef rib!

The character of the Timorasso grape and the terroir shine through, giving intense and complex wines with a textured chalkiness, mouthwatering acidity, and a long, concentrated finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmonte, Colli Tortonesi

Grapes: Timorasso

ABV: 13.5% 

Food Match: Versatile. Seafood, roast poultry, soft cheeses, and grilled vegetables.

8 bottles in one! Ripe red cherries, blue berries, bramble, pencil shavings, tobacco, spice and cedar on the nose and palate. Complex and rich, will age nicely for at least another 5 years. If drinking now, do decant.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux, Medoc

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.5%

A powerful and concentrated Bordeaux blend with ripe, rich red and black fruit characters along with cigar box, cedar and baking spice notes. A long and silky finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Franschoek, Western Cape

ABV: 14%

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot

Intense ruby ­red colour, deep and complex nose; rich and fruity with a prune and cherry jam aroma, notes of tobacco, slightly spicy. A full bodied wine, soft and rich in fine tannin, with notes of cocoa, coffee and vanilla on the finish.

Country: USA

Region: Sonoma County, California

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Zinfandel

Food Match: BBQ Beef rib!

The Ridge Vineyards began in 1885 when Dr Perrone bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards, as well as constructing the winery out of native limestone. Ridge Vineyards is one of the most prestigious wineries in California and is famous for the 1976 judgement of Paris where a panel of European experts judged the Ridge Monte Bello to be superior to some of Bordeaux's finest wines.

A very elegant Douro red made from foot trodden whole bunches of indigenous grape varieties. Concentrated aromas of blackberries, cherries and dried herbs,with a silky palate of black fruit, pepper, fine tannins and a long, mineral finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro

Grapes:  Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinto Cão

ABV: 12%

Complex and rich red, full of dark berry fruit, black pepper and well integrated French oak flavours.

Country: USA

Region: Napa Valley

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.2%

Aromas of ripe red berries, violets, and spice with palate flavors of raspberry, strawberry, currant, and cherry, complemented by earthy notes and a long, velvety finish.

Country: South Africa

Region:  Elgin

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13%

Food Match: 

From the Quinta do Cruzeiro winery. Made with hidden gem grape varieties Encruzado and Malvasia Fina -  famous grapes in Portugal and should be world famous in my opinion!

Aromas of lime, green apple and toast. This wine is clean, precise and has great depth of richness and minerallity with a long, complex finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Mangualde, Dão

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Encruzado and Malvasia Fina