2021 Vintage Wines
2021 Vintage Wines
Staff Picks
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Country: Italy, TuscanyGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red94 Points - The Wine Independent. Bolgheri is a relatively young yet prestigious Italian appellation located on the Tuscan coast just to the south of Livorno, home to exceptional wines. It is known mainly for deeply coloured, supple yet age worthy red wines, usually based on the Bordeaux grape varieties, which this wine is no different (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec). A classic, elegant Bordeaux style blend with round and silky tannins that
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Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 15%Style: Rich Full Red92 Points - The Wine Independent. The best grapes make the best wine" is the philosophy applied by the Winery's founder, Louis M. Martini. Implemented at the estate since its creation in 1938, this exacting philosophy has enabled the winery to become one of the leading names in Californian wines. With its vineyards in the sumptuous Sonoma and Napa Valleys and its many award-winning wines, the estate is now world-renowned for its great Cabernet Sauvignons. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Dec 2024) Wine Press -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: MerlotABV: 15%Style: Rich Full Red93-95 Points - The Wine Independent. Pahlmeyer made the most of the glorious 2021 Napa Valley Merlot vintage – a year that seems destined to rival or even eclipse the extraordinary 2013, 2018, and 2019 havests. The grapes for the Pahlmeyer Merlot 2021 were grown on high-elevation blocks and were hand-harvested, allowing for rigorous vineyard selection and gentle handling. Once in Pahlmeyer’s state-of-the-art winery, they were given a further hand sort and destemmed, with only perfectly ripe frui -
Country: Chile, Curico ValleyGrapes: Cabernet FrancABV: 13.5%Style: Rich Full Red96 Points - Patricio Tapia - Descorchados. The Caballo Loco Grand Cru Sagrada Familia is an exciting wine made by Valdivieso in their Sagrada Familia vineyard in Chile’s prestigious Curicó Valley. The Curicó Valley enjoys a Mediterranean climate and its volcanic and limestone allow for the production of exceptional quality noble grapes such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. These are at the heart of the Caballo Loco Grand Cru Sagrada Familia 2021 with Carmenere adding freshness and juiciness. Aft -
Country: Argentina, MendozaGrapes: SemillonABV: 13.5%Style: Rich Fruity White94 Points - Descorchados. The El Enemigo Semillon is a rare find, a great Argentinean Semillon. Plantings of Semillon in Argentina have plunged over the last half century, with just 578 hectares of the once 5,500 hectares remaining in production. The innovative and quality-obsessed team at El Enemigo have seen the potential of this noble variety and have plantings in their high-altitude, 70-year-old vineyard in Agrelo in the Mendoza sub-region of Lujan de Cuyo that are producing exceptional wine -
Country: Argentina, MendozaGrapes: Cabernet FrancABV: 13.5%Style: Rich Full Red91 Points - Descorchados. Over the last few years, Argentinean Cabernet Franc has got a lot of wine critics very excited. One taste of the Catena Appellation San Carlos Cabernet Franc and it’s easy to see why. Argentina’s pioneering Catena family could be set to do for Cabernet Franc what they did for Malbec. Made from fruit sourced from the family´s historic high-altitude vineyards (1,090m/3,576ft above sea level) in San Carlos, the sandy loam soils are perfect for Cabernet Franc, delivering sm -
Country: Spain, RiojaGrapes: TempranilloABV: 14%Style: Juicy Lively Red90 Points - Tim Atkin MW. This 90+ point Rioja from a modern style, family run winery is incredible value for a wine with this amount of complexity and style. The Solarce Tinto is a blend of Tempranillo, Grenache, Mazuelo & Graciano and is aged for 8 months in American and French oak barrels. Full-bodied and silky smooth with layers of fruit and spice. Fantastic Value for money for this superb Rioja. Wine Press Ratings 90 Points - Tim Atkin MW (2021 vintage) Taste Intense ruby-red colour wit -
Country: Spain, RiojaGrapes: TempranilloABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red94 Points - Tim Atkin MW. The Cuentaviñas Alomado 2021 is another wonderful wine from of this extraordinary Rioja bodega. Produced from a single vineyard which is home to vines that are over 60 years old, it marries tradition with innovation to startling effect. It’s planted with a mixture of Tempranillo grapes alongside the white varieties of Viura, Malvasía Riojana and Calagraño in what’s now known as a ‘field blend’. Innovation continues in the winery where the wine is barrel fermented in sm -
Country: Portugal, DouroGrapes: Touriga NacionalABV: 14%Style: Smooth Fruity Red91 Points - Robert Parker (2020). The Quinta do Crasto Superior Red Douro D.O.C. is a highly-rated red wine hailing from Portugal's Douro region. Skillfully blending the classical red grapes of Portugal, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz – it offers freshness and balance on both the nose and palate, along with a robust body, ripe firm tannins, and complex notes of dark berried fruits and cocoa that linger towards a long and elegant finish. Vivino Rating: 4.1 (July 2024) Taste Dee -
Country: France, Bordeaux, PomerolGrapes: MerlotABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red94 Points - Jeff Leve. Even in the context of Pomerol, Clos l’Eglise is a tiny property. In an average year, its 5.98-hectare vineyard (which isn’t a walled ‘clos’) yields only 2,800 cases of wine, and given its rising popularity, stocks are quickly exhausted. The secret to its success – alongside the huge investment by its owners the billionaire Garcan-Cathiard family – is its sandy-gravel topsoil, hard-pan subsoil and climate which is drier in the summer and winter than further west in the Med -
Country: France, Languedoc-RoussillonGrapes: Syrah / ShirazABV: 13.5%Style: Smooth Fruity Red90 Points - Gilbert & Gaillard. Crafted by the esteemed winemaker Jean-Michel Cazes, renowned owner of the 5th Growth Classified Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac, this wine draws its name from the exquisite 'Estibals' parcel of the domaine. A harmonious blend of grape varieties, it captures the essence of the Minervois appellation with finesse. Aged meticulously in French oak barrels for 12 months, it showcases a blend of 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 20% Carignan, resulting in a wine of unpar -
Country: South Africa, StellenboschGrapes: Chenin BlancABV: 13.5%Style: Rich Fruity White91 Points - Greg Sherwood MW. From a small plot planted in 1986 at 230 meters above sea level, the different soil types contribute to the complexity and many facets of this wine. The Moordernaarskloof (Murderers Gorge) Chenin Blanc has delicate scents of wild flowers and fruit, especially Cape Honeysuckle, white peaches, and pineapples, with an underlying minerality. The palate fully matches the nose with a creamy sensation and a texture that combines elegance and intensity, along with concentra -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Fruity White91 Points - Gilbert et Gaillard. The Sylvain Mosnier Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2021 is a classic example of Chablis. The Beauroy site, designated as a Premier Cru ‘climat,’ features limestone-rich soils that produce fresh, clean, and mineral-rich wines. Sylvain Mosnier's traditional approach avoids new oak, resulting in wines that are delightful when young but also have the potential to age and develop beautifully in the bottle. Wine Press Ratings 91 Points - Gilbert et Gaillard | Double Gold Meda -
Country: France, Rhone ValleyGrapes: GrenacheABV: 14.5%Style: Rich Full Red93 Points - Decanter. Raspail Ay is one of the most celebrated, traditional Gigondas estates. Owner Dominique Ay has now been joined by his son Christophe and daughter Anne-Sophie. The vines average 40 years old and are a mix of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. The grapes are 100% destemmed, vinified in cement tanks and aged in a mix of foudres and “cuves béton”. The wines are never fined and rarely filtered. These are wines packed with fruit, and age admirably. Vivino Rating: 4.0 (Dec -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Primitivo / ZinfandelABV: 15.2%Style: Rich Full Red93 Points - Robert Parker. The Zinfandel Old Vines is a blend of declassified wine from Turley’s old-vine vineyards. A great buy and one of the best old-vine cuvees the Turleys have produced, rich full-bodied, and unctuously textured, it explodes from the glass revealing black fruits, earth, kirsch, licorice, pepper, and underbrush elements. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Sept 2024) Wine Press Ratings 93 Points - Robert Parker "The 2021 Zinfandel Old Vines has a medium ruby color and plush red and black c -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 15.5%Style: Rich Full RedMercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of Orin Swift and emphasises their guiding principle: Without quality grapes, great wine is impossible. It comes from the best lots from very select vineyards in Napa Valley and the wine is a testament to those vineyards, to their principle and to what is possible in Napa Valley. The Liberty Dime on each bottle symbolises winemaker Dave Phinney's favorite coin in his collection growing up and his most prized possession. Vivino Rating: 4.6 (Sep -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14.3%Style: Rich Full Red92 Points - James Suckling. Located in the heart of Los Carneros, Napa Valley, summer temperatures are tempered by the cooling fog rolling in off the nearby San Pablo Bay, providing perfect conditions for producing beautifully balanced and complex wines that showcase the vineyard-driven character of this cool-climate estate. 10 months in French oak barrels (33% new) gives this Pinot Noir a spectrum of bright red and black fruits, notes of lilac and ginger weave into the fresh berry, cherry and p -
Country: France, Rhone ValleyGrapes: GrenacheABV: 15%Style: Smooth Fruity Red95 Points - La Revue de France. Le Télégramme comes from the younger vines of Vieux Télégraphe, from 30 years old wines, with a blend is 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre and 4% Cinsault. Ageing is in vats for 10 months followed by foudres for a further 7 months before bottling. The result is a delicious fruit driven Châteauneuf du Pape which drinks very well in its youth. Exceptional value for the property. Vivino Rating: 4.3 (Sept 2024) Wine Press Ratings 95 Points - La Revue de France "Th -
Country: Italy, TuscanyGrapes: Cabernet SauvignonABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red94 Points - The Wine Independent. Bolgheri is a relatively young yet prestigious Italian appellation located on the Tuscan coast just to the south of Livorno, home to exceptional wines. It is known mainly for deeply coloured, supple yet age worthy red wines, usually based on the Bordeaux grape varieties, which this wine is no different (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec). A classic, elegant Bordeaux style blend with round and silky tannins that -
Country: Australia, New South WalesGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex White95 Points - James Halliday / Halliday 5 Red Star Winery. When the godfather of Australian wine awards a producer a 5 Red Star Winery and 95 points, you know it’s something special. Briar Ridge’ Briar Hill Chardonnay 2021 is just such a wine. This mighty Hunter Valley wine pulls off that seemingly impossible trick of being powerful, yet elegant, fruitful yet reserved. Wonderfully pure fruit – apples, melon, peaches, pears – are perfectly aligned with the generous, but well-integrated, new FrenchRegular Price£34.95New Years Sale - 25% off£26.22 -
Country: France, Rhone ValleyGrapes: GrenacheABV: 14.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red92 Points - Wine Spectator. A favourite Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer of Robert Parker, Domaine Roger Sabon, established in 1952 produces a modern style of wine, with the Cuvée Les Olivets a stunning fruit forward Cuvée from vines over 50 years of age. A bright ruby colour. Toasted, furry, brothy and undergrowth nose. Ripe tannins are assorted with ripe black cherry on the palate. With previous vintages rated as high as 99 points by Robert Parker - it shows the remarkable consistency of Roger Sab -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13%Style: Classy Complex White92-95 Points - Jasper Morris MW. A rare chance to savour the stunning Meursault Cuvee Charles Maxime 2021 from Meursault masters, Domaine Latour Giraud. 2021 was a lovely but hugely challenging vintage in Burgundy. The little wine that was made offers a delicious combination of freshness, elegance, and harmony. The Cuvee Charles Maxime is a wonderful example of how good 2021 white Burgundy can be. Boasting generous quantities of citrus, almonds, lemon confit and just a hint of butter, it’s powe -
Country: France, ProvenceGrapes: CinsaultABV: 13%Style: Rich Complex Rosé92 Points - Wine Enthusiast - Gold Medal Winner - Concours des Grands Vins de Macon. This delicious fine and delicate Côtes de Provence Rosé is made mainly from the local Provençal grape variety Tibouren, together with some Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Mourvèdre. The grapes are harvested at night and taken to their state-of-the-art winery where the fermentation and maturation take place in stainless steel tanks. The 2021 is magnificent; very classy indeed. Taste 92 Points - Wine ERegular Price£26.95New Years Sale - 25% off£20.22 -
Country: France, Bordeaux, MargauxGrapes: MerlotABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic Red90 Points - Falstaff. The history of this very old vineyard begins in the 13th century. Château la Tour de Mons, formerly Tour de Marsac, took in 1623 the name of its owner Pierre de Mons. Château La Tour de Mons was later sold to the Clauzel Crunchet family and then bought back in 1995 by a group of institutional investors, Crédit Agricole and Caisse des Dépôts and Placements du Québec. Since, very important works of renovation and modernisation were carried out in order to restore its past. Vi
