Celebrating the Year of the Snake

There is a completeness that is evident in 2005 Clarets, and this is what immediately strikes with 2005 Cantemerle. It has bags of fruit, tannin and acidity, all tied up in an impeccably-balanced, polished package. Sweet cassis fruit is accompanied by a spicy edge and a long, fresh lift. This is very pretty now but ideally wants another five years to really get going, and will easily keep for another five after that.

Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager

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{region}St Julien {region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}laying-down{maturity}
{maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
[]The Wine Advocate:: 98+/100

[]Robert Parker:: 98+/100

[]Jancis Robinson:: 17.5/20

[]Wine Spectator:: 92-95/100

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Deeply coloured with a crimson hue, this was remarkably expressive at first taste before decanting for a few hours. Instinctively, I was expecting a muscular and brooding Batailley, such is the nature of the vintage, but rather quite the opposite with a silky and seductive wine which showcased layer upon layer of complexity, forest fruits and blackberry pie, through to cedar and spice box. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plentiful structure keeping this completely alive, the tannins finely etched into the background, and acidity plays a balancing role; however, I find the wine is in harmony at present, with 16 years under its belt.

With an opportunity to do this justice, I served alongside a roasted rare topside of fine beef and couldn’t have asked for more - this was absolutely singing, with mineral freshness and impressive length to boot. I would certainly recommend this food pairing. Otherwise, it is extremely enjoyable on its own after a few hours in a decanter. Undoubtedly, it will give for another 10-15 years, but there is certainly no harm in cracking open some 2005 Ch. Batailley now! A stalwart of Pauillac from a brilliant vintage, it’s a reminder of how good Bordeaux can be….Fabulous.

Chris Lamb, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Ch. Angélus’s 2009 is an extremely elegant wine with a lifted, floral hint to the nose and dense, pure, concentrated liquid raspberry fruit on the palate. Very fine, silky tannins add to the smooth, round mouthfeel, all completed by a long, sweet finish.

Cheval Blanc’s second wine, the 2005 Le Petit Cheval, possesses some of the character of its bigger sibling. Revealing a slight green streak among the cranberry and black cherry fruit along with medium body and a soft, plush texture, it is ideal for drinking over the next decade.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - 30-Apr-2008

This wine is gorgeous, with a lovely perfumed floral nose of violets and black fruit supported by a pure, creamy and elegantly structured palate. Classy blackberries and cassis shine through with great precision, alongside minerality and firm tannins. The wines of this estate are renowned for their purity, but in 2005 they have taken on that extra richness that they required to make them truly outstanding.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2012 Troplong Mondot has a fragrant bouquet with black cherry, cough candy and touches of marmalade, not complex but vigorous and fresh. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine bone structure and good acidity. Some expressive Cabernet Franc lends a Left Bank tincture to the spicy, black pepper-tinged finish. Classy, but not sure about its longevity. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Drink 2022 - 2032

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (September 2022)

Ripe fruit and hints of tobacco hit the nose before you discover the palate has well-balanced acidity and silky tannins. There is a good concentration of blackberries and earthiness with a slight hint of liquorice. As with the estate's white, the finish goes on and on. This is one for the traditional Bordeaux lover.

Ben Upjohn, Berry Bros. & Rudd

No wonder Olivier Bernard was beaming. His 2007 is the latest in a line of stunning vintages, which, apart from the fantastic 2005, is his best wine since 2000. A brooding, spicy, damson nose leads onto a dense palate with blackberry, crushed cassis, tobacco and leather with a long, pure finish. 

The balanced, mouth-filling fruit is cloaked in velvety but significant tannins (higher than 2005), bestowing the wine with a refined, masculine, early-drinking style. Fantastic in the context of any vintage and not far off the quality of Haut-Brion, this is an essential buy for any Claret-lover.

Simon Staples, Berry Bros. & Rudd

A junmai daiginjo at the pinnacle of traditional sake brewing, it features a fruity aroma and distinct rich flavors. Of special note is that, unlike daiginjo sake made by adding alcohol, this sake has the true characteristics of a junmai daiginjo. The crisp and clean umami stands out clearly and lingers as a distinct aftertaste. It is an excellent choice for drinking with tuna sashimi, from fatty to medium fatty and red, and with salmon sushi or other flavorful foods. It also goes well with meat and meat dishes, whether prepared in Japanese or western styles, and other such foods that bring out the umami.

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[]2019 Kura Master First Prize

[]2018 Sake Selection Award First Prize

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'En' has a hint of sweetness and rice driven umami, with a short crisp finish of a nashi pear crunch. For optimum terroir expression, along with the local rice an indigenous Miyagi yeast strain is used with soft water sourced from water flowing from popular ski-resort mountain Izumigatake for a very Miyagi inspired representation.

Light and complex mid-palate. Candy floss, polished, floral. Medium bodied, medium dry with umami flavour.

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[]Best Yamada-Nishiki – Kura Master 2020
 Gold medal – Sake-Junmai Daiginjo – HKIWSC 2020       
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The goal was to achieve the true essence of freshly harvested Hitomebore rice from Sendai in this lovely rich brew. The resulting sake is bursting with rice flavour, full of umami and round on the pallet. 

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[]International Wine Challenge 2016 Bronze Winner

[]International Wine Challenge 2022 Sake division: Gold Award   

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This 35% polished Junmai Daiginjo has been matured under -5 degree Celsius for 3 years. It is a medium to full bodied sake with intense and complex favours of rice and fruit and balanced with rich umami. This below zero degree aged sake is far more refined and mellowed than one that is freshly brewed, but because of the low temperature, it retains its youthful charm and pureness. Packaged in a beautiful limited-edition red-and-gold droplet bottle including a gift box, this is an experience not to be missed. This is ideally enjoyed slight chilled, with more intense favoured richer sashimi or even wagyu shabu shabu.

“Date 7 Eis a collaboration between seven breweries in the Miyagi prefecture aim to improve their brewing techniques and the quality of their sake through technical refinement. This project started in 2015 and the first “Season Ereached its final episode in 2021, and revived as “Season II Ein 2022. In this season, two leading breweries will showcase their unique style under one same theme in each episode, so there will be a pair of sakes to be released for each year. For 2023 release - Date 7, Season II, Episode 2, the two leading breweries – Yamawa (山和é�E造) and Hagino Tsuru (萩野é�E造) will brew with the same rice and polishing ratio specifications, while expressing the unique flavors of each brewery. The other five breweries will also take parts in different brewing process of both sakes.
 

1 x Yamawa style (山咁EStyle):
immaculate balance of gentle ginjo notes with refreshing acidity & supremely refined umami. "aesthetics of subtraction" true to the adage of Yamawa Shuzo, Yamadanishiki is expressed in its opulence, yet brilliantly restrained.
1 x Hagino Tsuru style (萩の鶴 Style):
juicy acidity bursting forth with exuberant tropical notes, culminating to a restrained, sharap finish. as the artwork depicts, a free-spirited & fun adventure awaits!

Enjoy this summer sake chilled or with ice, for a delightful combination of refreshing aroma, and a crisp finish. It has a spicy, refreshing, summer-style light taste with fresh and refreshing aroma.

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{ratings}                                                                                        []INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2016 Gold Winner                     []KURA MASTER 2017 Gold Winner. 2018 Platinum Award      
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This old vines cuvée comes from a tiny parcel of vines nearly 79 years in age that were planted by Massale Selection. The sub-soil here is chalk but there's limestone and clay up above. This is a structured red Burgundy that's powerful and will benefit from age. The majority of the domaine's vines are old vines (Massale) planted in the 1930s and 40s. Naturally the yields are miniscule for this reason making this wine all the more rare.

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{region}Vosne-Romanée{region}
{color}Red{color}
{maturity}ready-improve{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}

{ratings}   

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A cool site giving low pH wines (higher acidity). Mid purple in colour with no great depth, an elegant light red fruit nose, strict, fresh raspberry and alpine strawberry. - Jasper Morris MW

{***}{region}Gevrey-Chambertin{region}
{color}Red{color}                                                               

 {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will improve{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}
{ratings}      [] Jasper Morris :: 89-93/100   
 
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Benjamin Leroux is perhaps best known as a négociant, but he now owns a significant proportion of his own vineyards. He bought fruit from this 0.5-hectare parcel until eventually buying the land in 2021. The soil is light and sandy with brown gravel, giving a perfumed and pretty wine that has a light and delicate structure. Five barrels were made in 2017. The nose is spicy with open red-berry fruit, with floral aromas that follow through onto the palate. This is a pretty, pure and transparent expression of Beaune.

Drink now to 2027

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The small Hebridean island of Islay is famous for its heavily peat-smoke flavoured Malt Whiskies. Beyond the obvious peatiness each Islay Malt Whisky offers its own signature. Our Reserve has been created by our blenders to capture the very essence of the Islay style. Aromas reminiscent of quaysides emerge. Beyond the distinctive smoky core, there is a seam of subtle yellow fruit. The deep smokiness of the palate leaves a kiss of peat which lingers long into the finish. In short, this is an Islay drinker’s Islay.

Butter and grassy nose then ‘into the mash tun aromas E Floral notes soft and plant-like, then dried fruits, humbugs and cloverflower honey, marzipan and toffee. Powerful in ABV it takes to water delivering a delicious waxiness, lillies and herbs with spices and jute on the memorable finish.

The Hebridean island of Islay is renowned for the distinctive peaty style and smoky flavours of its whiskies. Our Classic Islay Malt is carefully selected blend of casks from some of the island's iconic distilleries, creating a balanced, complex and distinguished smoky dram.

Appearance: Light

Bouquet: Beautifully integrated, the tar aromas and orchard fruit compliment each other. The characteristic Islay peat note has the upper hand.

Palate: Full, approachable, creamy texture with some sweetness, and the quick reminder of its smoky heritage.

Finish: Long lingering peat smoke.

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{size}70 cl{size}

{ratings} []Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition Best Scotch Whisky 2021

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Historically almost all Scotch bore a distinctive smoky note, as peat was the most readily available fuel: today, however, it is much less common. Our Classic Peated Cask is a tribute to the traditional, peated dram -with expressive bursts of soot and smoke complemented by the spirit’s fruitiness.

Appearance: Light.

Bouquet: Well balanced, with Peat aromas giving the edge. Fruity undertones deliver a rich complexity.

Palate: A fruity sweetness introduces the soft peaty character. Well balanced to perfection.

Finish: Mid-long, deliciously Peated.

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{size}70 cl{size}

{ratings} []Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition: Silver Award 2021

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Many of Scotland’s most famous malts hail from Speyside, known for their approachable, fruity style and floral complexity. Our Classic Speyside Malt captures the very essence of the region, balancing subtle, honeyed fruit aromas with easy-going yet complex aromas.

Appearance: Golden Syrup.

Bouquet: Honeyed fruit, citrus and soft wood.

Palate: Creamy citrus, honey, rounded.

Finish: Soft fruits, mid-long.

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{size}70 cl{size}

{ratings} []Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition: Silver Award 2021

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A cinnamon, nutmeg and peppery nose immediately thrusts the spicy signature of rye into the forefront of the conversation, with the savoury palate and moreishly dry finish confirming this impression. The gentle toasting of the barrels allows the oak to speak more quietly than in many American whiskies, moving more towards complex pecan and walnut, rather than luxuriant macadamia.

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Free with any purchase, maximum 3 pieces per order. We offer elegant gift packaging and leave you to make a more personal, hand-picked choice from our range of over 5,000 wines & spirits.