Tronquoy 2020 - Beating the big names in a blind tasting

We’ve all wished we’d secured allocations from top domaines like Ramonet, Leflaive, DRC—or Clos Rougeard—before the scores soared and the prices followed. Today, we have that rare opportunity to get in before the crowd. Sylvain Dittière of La Porte Saint Jean is being tipped as the next Clos Rougeard, and his wines are still under the radar. Critically praised and beautifully priced, this is your chance to get in early on something truly special.

“Sylvain doesn't need any support anyway; his wines are very much sought after and don't need any scores or maybe not even comments as long as they sell that quickly” - Wine Advocate, Stephan Reinhardt

Few young winemakers in France have made waves quite like Sylvain Dittière. At just 23, he launched La Porte Saint Jean in the heart of Saumur, drawing on formative stints with greats like Thierry Germain, Clos Rougeard, and Domaine Gauby. From a modest cellar in Montreuil-Bellay, Sylvain crafts some of the Loire’s most thrilling, age-worthy wines—refined, precise, and unmistakably terroir-driven. His dedication to organic farming and low-intervention winemaking has garnered a cult following for good reason.

Working with limestone-rich vineyards in Saumur and Saumur-Champigny, Sylvain produces focused, elegant wines that shimmer with minerality and energy. His Cabernet Franc is savoury, structured, and pure, while his rare white cuvées—from Chenin planted on tuffeau soils—rival top-flight Burgundy in texture and longevity. Everything is done by hand, from harvesting to bottling, with a philosophy rooted in patience and precision. Long élevage in used barrels and a refusal to rush the process result in wines of remarkable detail and tension—an uncompromising vision that’s redefining the Loire’s potential.

---

We’re pleased to offer allocations of several wines from La Porte Saint Jean:

Saumur-Champigny 2022

Saumur-Champigny Les Cormiers 2022

Saumur Les Pouches Rouge 2020

 

La Perlée Blanc 2022

Les Pouches Blanc 2022

Quantities are limited, demand is rising, and once the world catches on—as it did with Clos Rougeard—these wines won’t stay at these prices. Whether you're buying to drink, cellar, or simply to be part of the story from the start, this is your moment. Secure your bottles of La Porte Saint Jean while you still can.

---

 What the wine critics say:

“Nowadays, there are certainly a few contenders to the Cabernet Franc throne… like Antoine Sanzay, who shares a link to the Foucault family and cultivates a bigger part of the Poyeaux site. Domaine de Collier of course, Guiberteau as well. But for me, and also for Loire aficionado Jim Budd, the estate most in the spiritual mould of the old Clos Rougeard estate, is La Porte St Jean, run by Sylvain Dittiere, the son in law of Charlie and Francoise Foucault”  - Greg Sherwood MW

“Sylvain doesn't need any support anyway; his wines are very much sought after and don't need any scores or maybe not even comments as long as they sell that quickly. Surely his wines will not have become less interesting 10 years after Sylvain started the domaine in Montreuil-Bellay after he had studied agriculture and learned winemaking at some of my favorite domaines in France, i.e. Gérard Gauby and Cyril Fahl in the Roussillon and Marc Tempé in Alsace and in Saumur at Thierry Germain and Clos de Rougeard. Charly Foucault's son Antoine from Domaine du Collier is a big guy—not only when it comes to wine but also to whisky and life in general. Of the 8.5 hectares, the eminent part is dedicated to Cabernet Franc, but Sylvain also produces Chenin Blanc and even Sauvignon Blanc (which I haven't tasted yet). Sylvain's wines age in oak for a pretty long time since he is happy to have a perfect subterranean cellar where the temperature is constantly between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius. The Chenin Blanc is aged for 30 months on the lees and is not racked except for bottling” - Wine Advocate, Stephan Reinhardt

 

View all wines from La Porte Saint Jean (Sylvain Dittiere)

---

Red’s

Saumur-Champigny Les Cormiers 2022

 

€49.50* inc VAT per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

Crafted from 60‑year-old vines rooted in Jurassic limestone, this flagship sees six-week open-top ferment and 26 months in new oak. Expect concentrated blackcurrant, pepper, and game aromas, with a silky, structured palate and precise tannins—grand cru-like Cabernet Franc at its finest.

 
Saumur Les Pouches Rouge 2020

€36.50* inc VAT per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

From clay-limestone vineyards in Montreuil‑Bellay, this Cabernet Franc sees long fermentation in wooden vats and 24 months in 50% new oak. Layered with dark berry, smoky spice, and savory graphite, it delivers structured elegance, fine tannins, and clear sense of place—classic Saumur rouge.

 
Saumur-Champigny 2022

€32.95* inc VAT per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

From 30- to 40-year-old vines on limestone-rich soils, this Saumur-Champigny is delicate yet concentrated, offering ripe cherry, tobacco, and spice on the nose. Fermented in concrete with no remontage or pigéage, then aged 18 months in seasoned Bordeaux barrels, it delivers silky texture, fine tannins, and a long, saline finish of great finesse.

---

Whites

La Perlee Blanc 2022

€40.50* inc VAT per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

La Perlée is crafted from 60–80-year-old Chenin vines rooted in clay-limestone soils on the Saumur-Anjou border. Fermented and aged on lees for 30 months without racking, it offers aromas of lemon oil, crushed stones and wet chalk. The palate is rich yet weightless—textured, saline, and lifted by fine tannins and electric citrus tension.

 

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

View all wines from La Porte Saint Jean (Sylvain Dittiere)

2019 Leoville Las Cases

98 Points - Wine Advocate
“The 2019 Léoville Las Cases is a brilliant young wine that will delight Bordeaux purists. […] Concentrated and serious, much like its immediate neighbor Château Latour, it is likely to emerge as one of the vintage’s longest lived—and greatest—wines.”

Chateau Leoville Las Cases is one of the most prestigious estates in Saint-Julien, often considered a "Super Second" due to its consistent First Growth-like quality. With origins dating back to the 17th century, the estate boasts one of Bordeaux’s finest terroirs, situated on deep gravel soils near the Gironde Estuary. Under the stewardship of Jean-Hubert Delon, Leoville Las Cases has maintained its reputation for producing structured, age-worthy wines with incredible depth, power, and finesse.

What truly sets Leoville Las Cases apart is the extraordinary terroir of its walled Grand Clos, a parcel often compared to the finest sites in Pauillac. Here, deep Gunzian gravel overlies clay and limestone, giving Cabernet Sauvignon perfect drainage, slow ripening and remarkable concentration. Proximity to the Gironde moderates temperatures, protecting the vines from frost and helping achieve optimal maturity. The result is a wine of profound structure, precision and mineral drive, capable of ageing for decades.

Table: Price comparison of top-scoring vintages of Leoville Las Cases. Accurate as of blog posting.

The 2019 Leoville Las Cases is a towering expression of Saint Julien, uniting immense structure with remarkable finesse. Built around 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, it delivers layers of cassis, black cherry, graphite, slate and violets, wrapped in ultra-fine, weightless tannins. Critics praise its precision, mineral depth and soaring tension, noting its kinship with neighbouring Latour. This is a profound, long-lived wine that will unfold beautifully over the coming decades.

We have a small parcel available at €169* In Bond per bottle. With outstanding scores, glowing commentary from every major critic and a price that still sits well below other top vintages, this is a clear opportunity.

If you don’t already have it in your cellar, now is the moment to make sure it’s there.

 

---

Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2019

€169* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

100 Points | Falstaff, Peter Moser

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on rim. Fine oak, a hint of nougat, dark berries underneath, some cardamom, dark cherries, a hint of candied oranges. Powerful, taut, tightly meshed, fresh acidity, spicy, supporting tannins, a hint of chocolate on the finish, convincing balance, mineral and very long lasting, cherries on the finish, a vin de garde, can also be tasted young with a few hours in the carafe, enormous future potential.

99+ Points | The Wine Independent, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Leoville Las Cases is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts from the glass with seductive scents of black cherry compote, creme de cassis, violets, and dark chocolate, leading to wafts of cedar and star anise. The full-bodied palate has amazingly fine tannins and great tension supporting the mineral-accented black fruits, finishing very long.

98 Points | Wine Advocate, William Kelley

The 2019 Léoville Las Cases is a brilliant young wine that will delight Bordeaux purists. Unwinding in the glass with scents of cassis, dark berries, cigar wrapper and pencil shavings, it’s full-bodied, layered and tightly wound, with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and an abundance of rich, powdery tannins. Concentrated and serious, much like its immediate neighbor Château Latour, it is likely to emerge as one of the vintage’s longest lived—and greatest—wines.

98 Ponts | Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux

This is just a great Las Cases where the structure expands upwards and outwards, making your tastebuds sit up and pay attention. The scraping minerality almost feels like you are on limestone instead of gravel soils, until the tannins kick in and you hit a wall of slate, spice, liquorice, rosebud, violet. Dark autumnal fruits of blackcurrant and bilberry are set against smoke and flint, giving no ground, demanding you slow down and take your time. It opens up, but you need to work for it. Exudes authority, a wine that delivers the essence of the property. Harvest September 18 to October 8. 3.67pH, 90% new oak.

98 Points | Decanter, Georgina Hindle

Wet stone, smoke and floral aspects to the aromatic profile - seriously inviting. Density and power here, but cooling and all in balance, full of blackcurrant and black cherries with obvious minerality. It gives such plushness in terms of roundness and grip of tannins, but also layers of perfumed fruit, ripe fruit and cooling slate and liquorice elements. A distinguished wine with a seamless tannic structure and excellent length. Lots of life here and also a real, almost sweet acidity that gives life and lift. Lots going on now but designed for long and steady ageing.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

View all vintages of Leoville Las Cases.

Thistledown Single Vineyard Grenache

“McLaren Vale Grenache, at the height of its powers, can be all things in one glass: supple and fine, powerful and statuesque, silky and structured, long and deep. This is a superstar, make no mistake” - Erin Larin, Wine Advocate

Thistledown has become one of Australia’s most exciting voices for site-driven, small-batch Grenache. Founded by Giles Cooke MW and Fergal Tynan MW, the winery champions old vines, cool sites and gentle winemaking that lets each parcel speak for itself. Their approach is meticulous yet restrained, favouring concrete fermenters, whole bunch layers and minimal extraction to preserve perfume and purity. The result is a range of wines that capture Australia’s finest expressions of Grenache with clarity, texture and finesse.

Eden Valley offers a rare style of Australian Grenache shaped by elevation, rocky quartz soils and cool nights that preserve lift and fragrance. At around 500 metres above sea level near Pewsey Vale, sites like Fool on the Hill give intensely aromatic wines, full of rose petals, blood orange and redcurrant. Gentle concrete fermentation protects its silky texture and powdery, rocky tannins, delivering a bright, finely etched expression of high grown Grenache.

Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale is widely regarded as one of Australia’s grand terroirs for Grenache, defined by deep sand, ironstone and old bush vines. These elevated, wind-influenced slopes produce wines that are supple yet powerful, with seamless fruit, spice and beautifully pliant tannins. Sands of Time captures this character perfectly, offering sapid red fruit, savoury depth and an effortless balance that shows why Blewitt Springs sits at the pinnacle of Australian Grenache.

Both wines have received some of the highest praise yet, each earning an impressive 97 points from The Wine Advocate. It is a strong endorsement of what Thistledown is achieving, and a reminder that Australia’s greatest Grenache is now defined as much by finesse, nuance and site expression as by sheer ripeness.

These are standout releases that show just how far the variety has come.

 

---

Thistledown Fool on the Hill Grenache 2024

 

€45.50* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

97 Points | Wine Advocate

The 2024 Fool on the Hill Grenache is from Eden Valley, and the wine is abundantly aromatic and eloquent of its place. The tiered vineyard site is up near Pewsey Vale and overlooks the Barossa from its vantage point of 500 meters above sea level. The wine is aromatically soft, textural and plump in the mouth, with rose petals and blood orange, red apples and redcurrants. With a hint of pomegranate molasses, the quartz comes through, and there's an integrated base of savory flavor that balances the exuberance of it. It's a highly attractive, gorgeous wine that speaks of the Eden in its splay of rocky tannin. It is chewy and powdery and fills the mouth with floral perfume. It fermented in concrete, which was a "layer cake of whole bunch and whole berry," says founder and winemaker Giles Cooke MW. The ferment received no pumping over, i.e., a very gentle extraction. Post ferment, it matured for 10 months in three- to five-year-old French puncheons. When I think of the three Grenache wines, I, perhaps controversially, given the others are from McLaren Vale, admire the tannin structure of this one the most. They all are magnificent wines.

96 Points | Halliday Wine Companion

Fermented in concrete pyramid with 20% whole bunches; 11 months in seasoned French oak. This from a new site to the brand, the Trial Hill vineyard, now owned and managed by Joel Mattschoss. This speaks the Thistledown dialect, expressly pure fruited yet intrinsically savoury, floral, elegant yet deep, finely but properly structured. There’s the usual cohort of red fruits, but it’s a little more earthy and spicy than its Vale peers. Day two is when this truly shines, becoming more fragrant with musk and souk spices. This is a wine to watch.

 
Thistledown Sands of Time Grenache 2024

€45.50* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

97 Points | Wine Advocate

Looking at this lineup of 2024 Grenaches, it is evident that 2024 was not a high-color year. However, the wines are abundantly aromatic, fresh and imbued with fine pliable structure, so with one we accept the other. So here, the 2024 Sands of Time Old Vine Single Vineyard Grenache penetrates the palate with sapid fruit flavors; the tannins "roll" more than they "shape," and they pervade every dark corner of the fruit. Everything here is in such lithe balance, and it truly is a pleasure to drink. McLaren Vale Grenache, at the height of its powers, can be all things in one glass: supple and fine, powerful and statuesque, silky and structured, long and deep. This is a superstar, make no mistake. The fruit was handpicked from Sue Trott's home vineyard and fermented wild with 30% whole bunches in concrete pyramids. It matured in both concrete and oak. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

97 Points | Halliday Wine Companion

From Sue Trott’s Blewitt Springs vineyard, planted in '52 to deep Maslin Sands. The Trott vineyard typically throws a slightly darker fruit profile, and this wine can be a little slower to emerge after bottling, but this year it’s open, perfumed and engaging from the beginning. That’s not to say it’s simpler – far from it. Refined, elegant, suffused with pressed florals and dark spice notes, rosehip tea, dried black cherry, iron, fennel seed and warm stone, the shape and drive reminiscent of nebbiolo, though more Valtellina than Langhe. That comparison is just for communication, as this is strikingly its own thing, another arrow finding the bullseye to show why modern Australian grenache is one of world wine’s most exciting categories. Sublime.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

See all wines from Thisltedown

Saint-Pierre 2015 - a Bordeaux Bargain

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

“Chocolate covered dark fruits, damp earth, tobacco leaf, and lead pencil shaving-like notes emerge from this huge, concentrated beauty that has building tannin and a huge mid-palate. It’s an incredible wine that builds with time in the glass, has no hard edges and is going to 3-4 decades of life. Bravo!"

If you are looking for one of Saint Julien’s best kept secrets, Chateau Saint Pierre is it. The smallest of the appellation’s classed growths, this quiet overachiever consistently produces wines of depth, purity and true Left Bank structure. With gravel rich soils, old vine Cabernet and painstaking work under the Triaud family, Saint Pierre remains one of the Medoc’s most refined and undervalued estates.

Despite its long history, the estate’s modern era is surprisingly young. When Henri Martin painstakingly reassembled the vineyard in the early 1980s, he rebuilt Saint Pierre almost from scratch to match its 1855 footprint. Alongside its sister estate Gloria, quality has risen sharply over the past decade, and the 2015 vintage marked a real turning point in precision, definition and overall harmony.

The 2015 Saint Pierre stands as one of the great wines of the vintage, uniting depth, purity and superb ageing potential. Critics from Jeb Dunnuck to Jane Anson highlight its refined power, saturated black fruit, graphite, spice and beautifully shaped tannins. It is structured yet wonderfully graceful, a wine that has grown even more impressive with time in bottle and firmly confirms Saint Pierre’s ascent.

Neal Martin captured it perfectly when he wrote, “Utterly graceful… a convincing argument that Saint-Pierre is becoming one of the go to Saint Julien crus.”

If you are building a cellar with wines that will outperform their price for years to come, this comes highly recommended.

 

---

Saint-Pierre 2015

€43.50* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar- BUY

97 Points | Jeb Dunnuck

This 17-hectare estate has been rejuvenated by owner Jean-Louis Triaud and is certainly producing some of the top wines from the appellation today. I tasted the deep, inky-colored 2015 Château Saint-Pierre twice and it’s reminiscent of the 2010, only with more elegance. In 2015 the wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc and it spent 14 months in 50% new and 50% once used barrels. Chocolate covered dark fruits, damp earth, tobacco leaf, and lead pencil shaving-like notes emerge from this huge, concentrated beauty that has building tannin and a huge mid-palate. It’s an incredible wine that builds with time in the glass, has no hard edges and is going to 3-4 decades of life. Bravo!

96 Points | Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux

The belief at the time that the 2014 was better than the 2015 in the northern Médoc is not being borne out with years in bottle (maybe Montrose!). The 2014 at Saint Pierre is excellent, but it's the 2015 that you want to go to if you're lookig for depth and future potential - this is loaded up with nuance and aromatic complexity. 2015 was the year where everything was new at Saint Pierre - newly renovated and expanded winery, more plot by plot vinification with tanks that range from 78hl to 135hl, with vertical press to replace pneumatic press, plus an expanded barrel cellar that allowed more than half of the press wine to be aged separately in barrel before being added to the blend. 50% new oak for ageing, harvest September 21 to October 7, Eric Boissenot consultant.

95 Points | Vinous - Neal Martin

The 2015 Saint-Pierre has a scintillating nose of brilliantly defined black fruit with superb mineralité. You can feel the energy coming from this bouquet. The medium-bodied palate is precise and pixelated, displaying fine-grained tannin and wonderful balance, leading to an exquisite, detailed, almost Margaux-like finish. Utterly graceful. This impressed me so much just after bottling, far more than in barrel, and assessed blind against its peers, it represents a convincing argument that Saint-Pierre is becoming one of the go-to Saint-Julien crus. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

View all wines from Saint-Julien

2024 Thistle & Weed

Tiny production from a 0.3 hectare parcel, crafted by Stephanie Wiid of Thistle and Weed, whose Chenins continue to turn heads. Wiid was named Tim Atkin MW’s Young Winemaker of the Year in 2024, a testament to the talent behind these beautifully expressive wines.

Founded by Stephanie Wiid and Etienne Terblanche, the winery focuses on small-batch, terroir-driven wines that celebrate South Africa's rich viticultural diversity. Thistle & Weed’s approach combines innovative winemaking with a deep respect for nature, resulting in wines that are both expressive and distinct, embodying a true sense of place and authenticity. Stephanie Wiid of Thistle & Weed was named Tim Atkin MW’s Young Winemaker of the Year in 2024 in his South Africa 2024 report.

Today we have a small parcel of three terroir-driven Chenin Blancs to share with you: the Brandnetel, Duwweltjie and Springdoring. Each has its own distinct personality, shaped by its site and soil. You will find more details under each wine, along with Tim Atkin’s tasting notes. All three deliver exceptional quality for the price.

In the 2020 vintage, Tim Atkin MW described the wine as “not as famous as some Cape Chenins, but right up there with the very best of them”, and we couldn’t agree more.

At €22.50* inc VAT per bottle, these Chenins offer distinctive terroir, tiny production and remarkable value. Given the limited quantities made each year, we only have a small allocation available on our website.

 

---

Thistle & Weed Brandnetel Chenin Blanc 2024

€22.50* inc VAT per bottle

Our top pick from the range is the Thistle & Weed Brandnetel Chenin Blanc, sourced from a tiny 0.3-hectare single vineyard perched on the cool slopes of Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch, at an altitude of 304 metres. Originally planted in 1980 as a rootstock trial with 32 different rootstocks, this unique vineyard yields a multi-layered wine with impressive tension and minerality.

95 Points | Tim Atkin MW

Generally my favourite of the Thistle & Weed Chenin Blancs, this comes from two old-vine parcels on the Simonbserg. Tangy, focused and refreshing it has engaging pear and lemon zest fruit, a hint of exotic sweetness, negligible oak and lots of granitic energy. 2025-30

Thistle & Weed Duwweltjie Chenin Blanc 2024

€22.50* inc VAT per bottle

Duwweltjie comes from a three-hectare old vine block in the cooler reaches of Paarl, where sandstone and ferricrete soils give depth and texture. This is the richest Chenin in the range, offering generous pear and stone fruit balanced by subtle oak and refreshing acidity.

94 Points | Tim Atkin MW

Duwweltjie comes from gravel and clay soils on the Joostenberg farm in the low part of Paarl and is the richest of the Thistle & Weed Chenin Blancs. Textured and voluminous, but still refreshing on the palate, it has pear and stone fruit flavours, a touch of wood and enough acidity to drive and freshen the finish. 2025-29

Thistle & Weed Springdoring Chenin Blanc 2024

€22.50* inc VAT per bottle

Springdoring comes from two old vine blocks rooted in white granite on the Malmesbury side of the Swartland, a rugged area famed for its minerality. The wine delivers green apple, citrus, white pepper and crushed stone, with creamy lees and razor-sharp acidity giving drive and precision.

93 Points | Tim Atkin MW

Spingdoring is one of a trio of Chenin Blancs from Stephanie Wiid, sourced from white granite soils on the Malmesbury side of the Swartland. Earth, fennel and petrichor aromas are an intriguing introduction to a palate of wet stone, green apple and citrus, with acidity that slices your palate like a knife. 2026-30

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

View all wines and vintages of Thistle & Weed.

2020 Troplong Mondot 2020 - A new era for one of Saint Emilion’s Great Terroirs

If, like us, you love finding wines that truly overdeliver for their region, then this next one should catch your attention.

100 Points - Decanter

“A sensational Troplong. Vibrant and vivid, this makes you smile from the first smell: milk chocolate, floral notes of roses and lavender, wet stones, liquorice, cinnamon and ripe bramble fruits. Round and thrilling on the palate, tannins are abundant with a chalky blueberry coolness while a salty tang settles around the mouth. Lovely precision and purity of fruit; you feel the sharp definition […] An absolute beauty."

---

Few estates in Bordeaux have changed as dramatically as Troplong Mondot. Since Aymeric de Gironde arrived after the 2017 harvest, the style has moved from sheer power to something far more refined, with greater finesse, precision and a much clearer sense of its remarkable terroir. You may already know his work from elsewhere, as he was previously head winemaker at Cos d’Estournel and made the outstanding 2016, arguably the estate’s finest modern vintage. In just a few years, Troplong Mondot has become a true benchmark for contemporary Saint Emilion.

 

A Grand Terroir Reimagined

Troplong Mondot sits at the crest of Saint Emilion, anchored by a rare twelve metre dome of deep blue clay that has never been eroded, giving the wines a natural mix of richness and freshness. The estate stretches from forty to one hundred and ten metres in elevation, with exposures that wrap almost to the edge of the medieval town, creating striking diversity. Jane Anson highlights its thicker clay over limestone as one of the appellation’s most privileged and naturally powerful sites, a terroir that ripens later and delivers remarkable intensity and complexity in the glass.

 

The De Gironde Revolution

William Kelley of The Wine Advocate has been one of the clearest voices documenting Troplong Mondot’s transformation, noting that few Bordeaux estates have evolved so profoundly in such a short period. Aymeric de Gironde’s first priority was to revive the soils, opening the compacted blue clays through horse ploughing and cover crops. Vineyard work became far more measured, with harvesting spread over a wider window to avoid the over-ripeness that once shaped the style.

Equally important were the changes in the cellar. Malolactic fermentation now happens in tank rather than barrel to preserve purity and vibrancy, and new oak is used with a lighter hand, allowing fruit and terroir to take the lead. The estate now favours gentle extraction and a focus on texture rather than sheer weight. The results are striking. While Troplong Mondot will always carry natural power, recent vintages show that power refined with finesse is far more compelling, with 2019, 2020 and 2022 marking a clear leap in precision, aromatic range and structural harmony.

 

A newfound success

The recent wines make it clear that Troplong Mondot has joined the top tier of Right Bank terroirs. Critics who once found the style too much now talk about its lift, brightness and expression of place.

What makes it exciting is that Troplong now sits comfortably beside the best limestone-driven estates of Saint Emilion, yet keeps the depth and individuality that come from its clay-rich summit. It’s rare to see this level of clarity and finesse in a wine of such natural power. Rarer still to see the change happen this quickly.

*Table accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change

In the 2020 vintage, Decanter awarded only five wines a perfect 100 points, and Troplong Mondot was among them, outscoring even Lafite and Cheval Blanc, which is no small achievement. Costing only a fraction of those grand vins, Troplong Mondot is clearly holding its own at the very top.

To help you get acquainted with the estate, we have a special offer this week at €79.50* In Bond per bottle. This is one of those moments where the stars align, so if Troplong has been on your radar, now is the time to dive in.

 

---

Troplong Mondot 2020

€79.50* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

100 Points | Decanter

A sensational Troplong. Vibrant and vivid, this makes you smile from the first smell: milk chocolate, floral notes of roses and lavender, wet stones, liquorice, cinnamon and ripe bramble fruits. Round and thrilling on the palate, tannins are abundant with a chalky blueberry coolness while a salty tang settles around the mouth. Lovely precision and purity of fruit; you feel the sharp definition - still linear which makes it less immediately charming than the 2019 but giving undeniable complexity. Deep but not heady, this remains pure and detailed, with a leanness from the terroir really setting this apart. After a few minutes, the glamour starts to appear giving a salivating, succulent and moreish aspect to the finish. An absolute beauty.

98+ Points | Wine Advocate, William Kelley

The 2020 Troplong Mondot may prove to be even better than the brilliant 2019, and it is one of the Right Bank's finest wines in this vintage. Unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of mulberries, blackberries and red cherries mingled with hints of rose petal, licorice and exotic spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a satiny attack that segues into a vibrant, polished mid-palate, concluding with a long, resonant finish. Having seen only 65% new oak and with malolactic fermentation completed in tank rather than in barrel, it's remarkably pure and seamless. With the 2020 vintage, this estate's stylistic redemption appears to be complete.

98+ Points | The Wine Independent

The 2020 Troplong Mondot is deep garnet in color. It is quite closed, offering glimpses at stewed plums and fresh boysenberries, before opening out to expressive scents of dark chocolate, rose oil, and tilled soil, plus a touch of mint tea. The palate is full, super-concentrated, fine, and tightly wound, with grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and minerally.

98 Points | Vinous - Antonio Galloni

The 2020 Troplong Mondot is fabulous. Rich, dark and expansive, the 2020 is wonderfully exuberant right out of the gate. Black cherry, plum, gravel, incense and licorice are all dialed up. There's tremendous breadth and power, but without the excess weight of the past. Even so, the 2020 is a big, big wine that needs the better part of a decade to soften. All the classic Troplong structure is there, but buffered by vibrant acids and tons of supporting minerality. Harvest started on September 5 and finished on October 8, a very wide window for the Right Bank, and a reminder of how different the parcels are. The 2020 was done in 60% new oak, 12% foudres 28% once-used barrels.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

View all wines and vintages of Troplong Mondot

2024 Kumeu River

The 2024s are a beautiful set of wines showing exactly why Kumeu River belong on the world stage, standing shoulder to shoulder with far pricier white Burgundy.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Kumeu River famously went head-to-head with top Burgundy in a blind tasting and came out on top. We’ve summarised the key takeaways in an article here.

---

“Now producing some of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays, not to mention the world’s.” - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

Kumeu River’s 2024 releases show the Brajkovich family at the height of their craft. A warm, dry season without extreme heat preserved brightness and aromatic clarity, while a cold spell during flowering cut yields dramatically. The result is a set of chiselled, finely scented Chardonnays that capture the purity, tension and mineral drive that have made this address such a benchmark for cool climate New World Chardonnay.

The single vineyards shine with even greater individuality in 2024. Coddington is generous and deep, Hunting Hill is taut and racy with its signature mineral line, and Maté’s Vineyard brings remarkable intensity from old Mendoza vines that naturally produce small, concentrated berries. Often described as the Montrachet of New Zealand, Maté’s shows remarkable presence, layered citrus and stone fruit, and a powerful yet finely etched structure that promises long ageing. It is the estate’s most complete and authoritative expression.

Rays Road continues its rise, channelling its limestone soils into a chalky, Chablis-like precision. Vintage after vintage, it’s been getting better and remains one of the bargains of the entire range. As always, the Estate Chardonnay offers outstanding value, with the structure to age far longer than many expect. The team love the Estate and it comes strongly endorsed.

We normally skip the Village Chardonnay, opting for the Estate, which is all Kumeu fruit, but in 2024, the Village Chardonnay also comes highly recommended.

We’ve collated all the reviews below for you, and across the board, the scores are high and the comments are very positive. Everything except the village is available by the bottle; you can choose what you like. Maté’s, the most sought-after of the lineup, is offered strictly ‘On Allocation’ and cannot be purchased on its own. To access it, we need a little support across the rest of the range.

All the wines have an ETA of December/early January. We have selected reviews for each wine, with more available on the website.

 

---

Village Chardonnay 2024

€14.25 In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

Only available in 6x75cl

92 Points | Wine Advocate

The 2024 Village Chardonnay had just been freshly bottled when I tasted it at the estate in Kumeu in March 2025. The other 2024 Chardonnays were tasted as tank samples prior to filtration and bottling soon. The wine leads with yellow citrus and crushed shells. It is texturally fine, sleek and tightly coiled around a core of salty acidity. It is complex but composed and very good. "2024 was a fantastic year, just very small," says Paul Brajkovich. "Weather during flowering wasn't good in spring in 2023," says Michael Brajkovich. "Ripening in 2024 was excellent, so we have a 40% down in yield but very high quality. The Village wine is a blend of Kumeu and Hawke's Bay [and is] a mixture of barrel and tank fermentation."

17/20 Points | Matthew Jukes

Following the adverse weather during flowering, the volumes were 40% lower; however, the results are tremendous, considering the price and elegance of this wine. They were forced to buy a few grapes, and 20% of them were machine-harvested, so this meant they had to remove ‘hand-harvested’ from the label. However, the style, freshness, and length of this wine are all sensational.

 
Estate Chardonnay 2024

€23.95 In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

18 Points | Matthew Jukes

This year’s Estate offering is all about precision. Combining six vineyards in perfect harmony and embracing a full spectrum of Chardonnay’s flavour palette from citrus to peach, this is a more precocious and much more expressive wine than expected. It is one of the finest Kumeu River Estate wines I can recall, and it is virtually ready to drink now!

94 Points | The Real Review

Buttery croissant aromas, smoky snuffed candle, very complex and charming, the palate medium bodied with good weight and medium length, dry finish, impeccable balance. A remarkable wine at the price, detailed and engaging.

 
Rays Road Chardonnay 2024

€24.25 In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

17.50 Points | Matthew Jukes

After six years of ‘practice’, this wine seems to have found its feet! Limestone-driven, Chablis-esque, bright, angular and raspy, this is an enticing fellow, which needs a year to settle, and I venture this will end up being a worthwhile member of the pack, with perhaps a hint of luxuriousness to bring to the party.

94 Points | Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, Jane Skilton MW

Higher toned than Kumeu River's Auckland wines, with green apple, crisp pear and oyster shell. Barrel fermented in 2024, but only the tiniest touch of new oak and sweet biscuit on display. More open and opulent than previous vintages but still retains the hallmark chalky, biscotti characters. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted Aug 2025.

 
Coddington Chardonnay 2024

€42.50 In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

18/20 Points | Matthew Jukes

Michael informed me that this could be the ripest vineyard of the lot if you were prepared to wait! Sadly, yields were down 50% because of uneven flowering. This time, there is a more exotic and peachier feel with a more layered and expressive mid-palate. I am not a fully paid up Coddington fan, but this 2024 is a seductive proposition and, again, it is showing well already!

96 Points | Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, Jane Skilton MW

Very ripe and smoky. Shows classic Coddington aromas of grilled pineapple, rockmelon and red apple but is sleek, focussed and not at all blowsy. Concentrated and weighty, the new oak comes through right at the end of the palate. Finishes with hint of reduction and smoke. Drink from 2028-2038. Tasted Aug 2025.

94-96 Points | Wine Advocate

The 2024 Coddington Chardonnay is alive on the palate with preserved lemon rind, tendrils of crushed shells and layers of brine. It is electric, in its way. There are salted and crushed nuts on the middle palate and length, which uncoils through the finish that allows a second and third look at the detail inherent within. This is very exciting and also creamy. It was tasted as a tank sample prior to filtration and bottling.

 
Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2024

€45 In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

19 Points | Matthew Jukes

First planted in 1982 (and replanted in 2001), this is a super-important wine in the portfolio and is always one of my preferred wines. This is, once again, the case in 2024, with a balletic, refined, delicate, and yet exceptionally long flavour that never seems too skinny or attenuated. I wrote my notes extremely fast here and dashed down ‘Spectacular’, ‘Tremendous’, and ‘Terrific’, without managing to add any more detail apart from a mighty score!

96 Points | Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, Jane Skilton MW

5-Star Wine. Super concentrated. Stylistically different to the Coddington, as less flesh and upfront charm and but instead plenty of sleek, lithe flinty reduction. Lemon blossom and apple sorbet. Great degree of ripeness and poise. A creamy, silken texture. Drink from 2030-2037.

93-95 points | Wine Advocate

The 2024 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the ripest in alcohol of the 2024 releases, and it feels powerfully layered and driven on the palate. This is rich, almost thunderous in its positioning, with salted citrus and exotic spices (star anise/fennel/scraped vanilla pod). The oak here is polished and elegant, smoothing down any stray, loose hairs. The barrels have been air dried for three years and lightly toasted. The finish is tight and focused. This was tasted as a tank sample prior to filtration and bottling.

 
Mates Vineyard Chardonnay 2024

€47.50 In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

This is ‘On Allocation’, requiring support on other wines

19+ Points | Matthew Jukes

Maté Brajkovich’s family purchased this vineyard in 1944, and he reworked the land in 1990 (planting the Mendoza clone). The first grapes were harvested in 1993. As one might expect, knowing the legend of this wine, it is indeed super-closed, tense and introverted. The mid-palate is chewier and denser, yet it also exhibits more floral ripeness. Add to these beguiling ingredients stunning definition and great potential, and you have a benchmark Maté’s vintage.

98 Points | James Suckling

The complexity and subtlety are most impressive, with honeysuckle, white flower, ripe pear, flint and vanilla bean aromas. Medium-bodied with a tight and phenolic texture and a long, tight finish. Lots of layered mouthfeel and complexity. Fantastic finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

95-97 Points | Wine Advocate

The 2024 Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay is mouthfilling and full, easily the biggest and most powerful of the single-vineyard Chardonnays in this 2024 release. "In terms of quality, 2024 is up there with the best of them: 2022, 2020, 2014..." This feels perhaps as statuesque and thrilling as the best of the Maté's so far, with intensity that explodes in every direction on the palate—length and width—with spicy top notes and a thunderous base of yellow fruit. The acidity, as usual, coils and weaves its way across the palate, lacing together the fruit and phenolics with seamless intensity. This is very good.

 

View all wines and vintages of Kumeu River.

2021 Guado Al Tasso 2021 - 98 Points

“The 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a very beautiful wine, but also quite a departure from the style that made it famous years ago. Readers will find an especially polished Guado al Tasso, a wine that emphasizes finesse more than power."

Guado al Tasso stands among the great names of Tuscany, completing the legendary Antinori trio alongside Tignanello and Solaia. One of the original Super Tuscans, it has long been admired for its elegance and coastal energy, yet it remains one of Italy’s most undervalued fine wines.

There’s no denying that 2021 was a remarkable year in Tuscany, a vintage we’ve praised time and again for its balance and brilliance in many of our offers. Guado al Tasso is no exception. The estate produced one of its highest-scoring wines ever, earning 98 points from Vinous. Despite the extraordinary quality, its price remains far below that of its peers, making it an exceptional opportunity for collectors and wine lovers.

Nestled along the Tuscan coast in the heart of Bolgheri’s famed natural amphitheatre, Guado al Tasso enjoys a unique position among the region’s great vineyards. The Mediterranean breeze cools the vines by day and night, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc to ripen slowly, developing depth without losing freshness. The estate’s gently undulating soils of clay, sand and alluvial gravel add complexity and structure to the wines, while Antinori’s precision winemaking ensures balance and longevity.

In a year when many of Italy’s top wines have reached record prices, Guado al Tasso remains an outlier. Its quality rivals that of Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Tignanello, yet its price remains comparatively restrained. Once considered the rugged sibling among the Super Tuscans, Guado al Tasso has matured into one of the region’s most refined and consistent wines, all while retaining its distinctive Bolgheri character.

For those looking to secure one of Tuscany’s most exciting and underappreciated fine wines, Guado al Tasso 2021 is an opportunity not to be missed.

 

---

Guado Al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2021

€109* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

98 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni

The 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a very beautiful wine, but also quite a departure from the style that made it famous years ago. Readers will find an especially polished Guado al Tasso, a wine that emphasizes finesse more than power. Silky tannins wrap around a core of black cherry fruit, licorice, spice, mocha and new leather. Bright, saline undertones extend the exquisite finish. There's more Cabernet Franc in the blend these days, and that very much comes through in the wine's crazy aromatic presence and feel. The 2021 spent 16 months in wood, three months in used French oak barrels during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months in barrel (80% new) for the rest of its aging. Gorgeous.

97 Points | James Suckling

This is really well crafted, with ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate. It’s medium-bodied with a balance of currant, dark chocolate and hazelnut character. It’s so long and persistent, with gorgeous sophistication and unctuousness at the finish. Extremely well done. Drinkable now, but even better in two or three years.

96 Points | Decanter, James Button

There's a beautiful coolness here, with black and blue fruits mingling with powerful balsam and menthol, sous bois and damp earth. Slick and glossy, vertical and tight, it's still very tightly coiled and demands time in the bottle. Bright acidity pierces through, and ripe forest berries emerge on the finish. So good.

95 Points | Wine Advocate

The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc from a hot year that also benefited from better underground water reserves because 2020 actually saw quite a bit of rain in Bolgheri and that moisture carried over. This wine is all forward thrust as a result, with a determined mouthfeel pushed over the palate thanks to plummy fruit, baked blackberry and sweet spice. The wine gracefully adds a spot of much-needed minerality that adds to the sensations of freshness. There is even some mint that livens up the mouthfeel.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

View all wines and vintages of Guado al Tasso.

2020 was a superb year in Bordeaux, yet as the third in the so-called trilogy of great vintages (2018, 2019, 2020), it perhaps didn’t receive the recognition it deserved. Perhaps it was down to Bordeaux buying fatigue...

Today’s offer on the underrated 2020 vintage comes at a price well below other highly regarded years, yet the reviews speak for themselves. This is a truly exceptional vintage from one of Saint-Emilion’s most legendary estates. As an added bonus, these are 1x75cl OWC giving you a chance to add singles to the collection. We have just 18 bottles at this price and format which are first come, first served.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck - "As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today (needs lots of air) but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form."

99 Points - Antonio Galloni - "The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance"

Chateau Cheval Blanc stands as a symbol of Saint-Emilion’s greatness, uniting power and grace like no other. Revered for its Cabernet Franc-dominant blend and profound ageing potential, it produces wines of exquisite perfume, silk-like texture and precision, embodying Bordeaux’s perfect balance between innovation, heritage and timeless craftsmanship.

Cheval Blanc 2020 is a masterpiece of balance, power and finesse. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it bursts with layers of dark fruit, violet, spice and graphite. Silky tannins, seamless texture and extraordinary depth make it one of the defining wines of this exceptional Bordeaux vintage.

We've put together a table below showing the top vintages and the main wine critics who move the needle on prices of Cheval Blanc. Both Jeb Dunnuck and Jane Anson loved the wine scoring it 100-Points with Galloni and Neal Martin not far behind.

 

Table accurate as of November 2026. Prices based on EU listings on Wine-Searcher.

 

---

Cheval Blanc 2020
 

 

€425* In Bond per bottle

Add to Cellar - BUY

100 Points | Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux
Intense, indelible, with layer upon layer of blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, fennel, liqourice, pencil, espresso, crushed rocks, just so much character and poise. The driest year at Cheval Blanc since 1959, with 71% of production from the 39ha estate in this wine, technical director Pierre Olivier Clouet. This continues to be bottled as Premier Grand Cru Classé A until the 2022 vintage, following its withdrawal from the ranking, which will make an interesting footnote for collectors I would imagine, but makes zero difference to the brilliance of what is in the bottle.

100 Points | Jeb Dunnuck
The Grand Vin 2020 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised, as always, in 100% new French oak. As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today (needs lots of air) but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form.

99 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance. Hints of mocha, raspberry jam, pomegranate and spice emerge with time in the glass. Cheval is quite simply one of the truly great wines of the vintage.

98 Points | Vinous - Neal Martin
The 2020 Cheval Blanc has such a pretty, floral bouquet that you will instantly be smitten: very well defined and extremely pure with an almost Burgundian allure. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins and a cashmere texture. There's not an edge to be found on the persistent and graceful finish. Captivating. Mesmerizing. How many more adjectives do you need? Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

98 Points | The Wine Independent, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Cheval Blanc has more Merlot than usual as some of the young Cabernet Franc that would normally be used was not suitable this year but the Merlot was outstanding! It has a deep purple-black color and a pH of 3.7. The nose is very closed and tight to begin, needing a lot of swirling to coax out notes of plum preserves, black cherry compote, and blueberry pie, followed by suggestions of pencil shavings, clove oil, candied violets, cast-iron pan, and fertile loam, with a waft of wild sage. The medium to full-bodied palate is locked-up tight, with loads of layers, bound with a firm frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. It will need a lot of time!

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

 

See all vintages and wines from Cheval Blanc.