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James Suckling: 97Pts; Decanter: 97Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 96Pts; Guia Penin: 94Pts; Wine Advocate: 93Pts; Wine Spectator: 92Pts

Martell Chanteloup XXO is a luxury cognac named after the historic Château de Chanteloup in the French region of Cognac where is the heart of the Maison Martell brand.

Taste of Martell Chanteloup XXO cognac will take you directly to the very essence of the art of creating this exceptional spirit. It carries the heritage of "savoir-faire," which has been maintained for nine generations and is now in the hands of cellar master Christophe Valtaud. It was he who mixed Martell Chanteloup XXO from 450 very old eaux-de-vie, from the four most prestigious cognac crus, which he combined in a balanced way into perfect harmony. Martell Chanteloup XXO is an unprecedented combination of richness, complexity and the best of Cognac terroir.

The wine has a dark color with purple hues. Gourmand nose on red fruits and hints of spices. The palate is warm and enveloping around silky tannins with a chalky touch. Full-bodied, youthful in appearance, red berries, cassis, and plums interweave cigar, violet, sweet vanilla, clove and nutmeg. The fruit is succulent with vibrancy and intensity, enriched by fine-grained tannin extraction, and lingers with cigar and smoky fragrance, finishing with a rich yet vibrant chewy palate. Match with roasted lamb and beef short ribs over the next 8+ years.

Raymond Chan Wine RevieWine Spectator: 18.5/20Pts – Crafted from organically-grown grapes

Composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed to begin, soon revealing floral notes of lilacs and lavender over a core of black raspberries, warm blackberries and forest floor plus touches of star anise and stewed black tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is a bundle of energy and tension with softly played tannins and beautiful floral and black fruit layers, finishing with a long-lingering whisper.

This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Petit Verdot is a nicely dense wine, with very refined aromas of caramel leather and red fruits; Good structure, the tannins are present but melted, the wine offers a good acidity that brings a lot of freshness to this vintage Finish: Long with beautiful fruits along with minerality and freshness.

Crafted from organically-grown grapes

Scented with jasmine blossoms, this green tea from Fuding, in Fujian province, China, has a delicate floral aroma and notes of apple sherbet, lychee, and vanilla, making it a refreshing aperitif.

Pairs well with creamy desserts, spicy Asian salads or elderflower jellies

An amazing wine in every sense, this classic, full-bodied Pauillac is the quintessential Pontet Canet from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who continues to reduce yields and farms his vineyards biodynamically a rarity in Bordeaux. Black as a moonless night, the 2009 Pontet Canet offers up notes of incense, graphite, smoke, licorice, creme de cassis and blackberries.

A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years. The tannins are elevated, but they are sweet and beautifully integrated as are the acidity, wood and alcohol (which must be in excess of 14%). This vineyard, which is situated on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, appears to have done everything perfectly in 2009. This cuvee should shut down in the cellar and re-open in a decade or more.

The wines of Chateau Pontet-Canet obtained organic certification from Ecocert and biodynamic certification from Biodyvin in 2010 and from Demeter in 2014.

Premium White Wine is a Côtes de Provence with exotic and amazing aromas of pineapple, rhubarb, honey and cream. It shows a great depth and a lot of freshness during the tasting. A nice complexity is to be emphasised with smoked notes and grilled almonds. The Rolle varietal (also called Vermentino) bring a lot of structure and minerality to that amazing wine. 

Wine Enthusiast: 90Pts; Jancis Robinson: 16.5/20
Certified Organic & Biodynamic

Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé takes its inspiration from Maison Perrier-Jouët’s Blason de France prestige cuvées—introduced in 1955 and served in some of the world’s finest restaurants. Crafted with gastronomy in mind, this rosé is designed to accompany an entire meal, overturning the traditional idea that rosés are best saved for dessert.

A distinctive salmon-pink hue greets the eye, while intense aromas of ripe red and black fruit mingle with a hint of exotic pomegranate. On the palate, it is lush and lively, lingering into a generous, full finish—defying every cliché about rosé. Imagine a rose petal: delicate in appearance, yet traversed by veins that provide strength, structure, and tension underneath.

Its superb balance and impressive structure make Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé a perfect partner for adventurous food pairings. “Try it with a rib of beef on the barbecue—it has the character and charisma to rise to the occasion,” suggests Cellar Master Séverine Frerson. Equally delicious with duck breast in blackcurrant sauce, this champagne promises to dazzle your senses from the first sip to the last bite.

Ratings:

Gilbert & Gaillard: 92Pts; Falstaff: 92Pts; Guia Penin: 91Pts

Château La Croix du Grand Jard – Bordeaux

Discover Elegance Château La Croix du Grand Jard, located in Braud-et-Saint-Louis, Bordeaux, blends 20% Cabernet Sauvignon with 80% Merlot. Crafted on a 23-hectare vineyard established in the 1970s, this 2020 vintage boasts a vibrant ruby robe, fruity aromas, and a balanced sweetness with robust structure. Perfectly paired with grilled and white meats or cheeses. Serve at 16°C-17°C.

Awarded the Gold Medal at Gilbert & Gaillard 2022. 

Château Bonesperance – Bordeaux

Refined Taste Experience Château Bonesperance, a premium 100% Merlot from rich clay-sandy soils in Bordeaux. Traditional vinification with slow fermentation preserves intense red and black berry aromas and flavors. This medium-bodied wine features supple tannins and a fresh finish, ideal for barbecues, tapas, cheeses, and chocolate desserts. Serve between 16°C-18°C for optimal enjoyment.

Château Butte de Charlemagne – Bordeaux

Sophisticated Blend Indulge in Château Butte de Charlemagne, a harmonious Bordeaux blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Vinified in stainless steel with controlled fermentation, this wine showcases an intense deep red color, concentrated fruit aromas, and a fleshy, structured palate. Perfect with charcuterie, meats, and cheeses. Awarding excellence through balanced craftsmanship. Serve at 16°C-18°C.

The 2016 Angelus is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 to 22 months in new barrels and foudres. Deep garnet-purple colored, it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with sensuous notes of lavender, candied violets, garrigue, Ceylon tea and iron ore with a core of warm black cherries, mulberries, ripe plums and aniseed plus wafts of cedar chest and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the perfumed fruit whispers of great intensity and depth, with the vivacious fruit well knit into the plush, seductive frame of velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Still very tightly wound with amazing tension at this stage, it truly needs a good 6-8 more years in bottle to deliver the fully expressed layers that this soft-spoken, profound beauty promises.

Boulard Calvados is the first name in super-premium Calvados, the celebrated apple-based spirit unique to the Normandy region of Northern France. Boulard was Founded in the late 1820s by Pierre-August Boulard.

Produced from a blend of Calvados from the Pays d’Auge AOC aged from 2 to 5 years, the Boulard ‘Grand Solage’ is characterised by its apple fragrance and its amber colour. The pure initial taste of the Grand Solage is followed by a fruity flavour and the vanilla taste of oak. Perfect with a meal, it is also highly appreciated as an aperitif with tonic or on ice.

The blend pays tribute to the Right Bank’s black grape variety, so the Carillon d’Angelus 2017 expresses all the smoothness and opulence of Merlot (90%) with the elegance of Cabernet Franc (10%) that brings finesse to distinguish the wine. With its beautiful dark color, the Carillon d’Angelus 2017 instantly charms with its bewitching aromatic bouquet. The nose discovers ample and pure fresh fruit aromas. The palate starts with a sumptuous attack that reveals the magnitude of the vintage’s personality. The generous concentration extends to a powerful finish that ends in elegance and harmony.

James Suckling: 93-94Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 91-92Pts; Vinous: 92Pts; Decanter: 91Pts; Robert Parker: 90Pts

Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d’Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!

The 2016 Ausone is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc picked 10-14 October and 14-19 October, respectively, at 40 hectoliters per hectare. It is matured in 80% new oak with a light toasting, a move that Alain and Pauline Vauthier have made in recent years just to lessen the impact of the oak.

There is a palpable stateliness about the Ausone this year. It is extraordinarily pure and articulates its terroir as well as any vintage that I can remember over the last 20-odd years. It is not as flamboyant as other Saint Emilions, more correct and precise. The palate is very elegant and precise. I adore the exquisite balance of this Ausone, the precision and fineness of the tannin, the effortlessness that it conveys. This is classy and sophisticated, satin-like in texture with a long and sensual finish.

Not an Ausone that is going to blaze across the sky, this is a cerebral, intellectual Ausone that will entrance for many years to come.

Yellow gold reflections, evidence of the wine’s maturity, but also of Bollinger’s vinification methods.  Initial scents are full of small stone fruits, with notes of Pomme Gris, plum and Mirabelle plum, layered with a touch of honey. Aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, and raspberry follow; a medley of red fruits dances with notes of almond. Exotic touches of mango follow, dissolving into tertiary scents of vanilla and a delicate woody aroma.  On the palate the wine is plump, generous and enticing, reminiscent of Mirabelle plum jam. Texture and richness define the tasting experience. The finish blends note of chocolate and citrus fruits, bringing a touch of acidity, lengthened further by hints of schist. A hugely generous wine!

Vinous: 96Pts; James Suckling: 96Pts; Wine Spectator: 96Pts; Gault & Millau: 96Pts; Falstaff: 96Pts; Wine Advocate: 95Pts