Australia
Australia
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HK$1,290.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021HK$1,580.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021HK$3,935.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
If you were to assess a wine based solely on its length of flavor, then this 2016 Autumnus Shiraz would do nothing but stun you. The rivulets of velvety, plush fruit rolls across the palate and undulate through the long, lingering finish. What a wine! Wow. As to the flavors, there's Christmas cake spice, black cherries, aniseed and licorice, dark chocolate, raspberries, mulberries, a few damsons, blood plums, beetroot, pastrami and pink peppercorns. A symphonic display. But, for me, more than the flavor and more than the length (both formidable elements in their own rights), the texture is the real highlight. The tannins are so smooth, so shapely and so streamlined that it barely beggars belief. This is what I will remember about this wine in the future: the tannins. Awesome.HK$4,230.00 -
Allow us to introduce the spectacular Spee Wah Murray Darling Crooked Mick Viognier 2015, a splendid expression of exquisite Australian viticulture. Produced in the sprawling Murray Darling region, this charming white wine bears the signature of renowned winemakers, Spee Wah. Celebrated for their dedication to sustainable wine production, this Spee Wah offering is crafted from Viognier grapes, carefully nurtured to maturity.
Upon uncorking, this 2015 vintage bestows a striking aromatic profile blending rich apricot and lush floral notes. Abounding with a vibrant palate, it showcases layers of ripe stone fruit flavours harmoniously offset by a deft minerality and a subtle spice undertone. The finish is languidly persistent, affirming the Spee Wah Murray Darling Crooked Mick Viognier 2015 as a wine of superb structure and enchanting complexity.
Incredible solo or with Asian-inspired dishes, it's a testament to the masterful craft of Spee Wah, carrying the indelible imprint of its sun-kissed Australian terroir with unmistakable elegance.
HK$1,070.00 -
Vinous (92+)
(64% mataro and 36% old-vines shiraz) Dense ruby. Explosive bouquet of spiced cherry, plum, blackberry, creme de cassis, roasted coffee and cured meat. Mouthfilling, dense and verging on sweet, but with impressive structure and youthful tannins. Sexy oak spices add sweetness to the finish. A deeply concentrated, weighty wine that's wound-up right now and needs at least three years of cellaring.HK$2,935.00 -
Wine Advocate (98-100)
Another potentially perfect wine, the 2018 Lamella Shiraz, from the Eden Valley, is full-bodied and velvety in texture. Offering swirls of complex mixed berries, tea and spice, it finishes long and tannic, with plenty of backbone and structure, plus intriguing hints of espresso and chocolate. In contrast to The Standish, it's more impressive, while The Standish is more opulent and generous.HK$5,710.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020James Suckling (98)
The Eden Valley fruit gives a unique cool fruit character of blue fruits, iron and white pepper. Granite. Medium to full body, with tight and integrated skin tannins and a gunpowder undertone. Fantastic length. A little closed now. Drink after 2025.HK$3,950.00 -
Wine Advocate (96-98)
Mint, sage and thyme accent blackberry and black cherry fruit in the 2018 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz. Full-bodied and rich without being heavy, it finishes tremendously long, with silky, cocoa-powder-like tannins. It should drink well for a couple of decades.HK$4,900.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Unbelievable! Another insane wine. The length of this is endless. The blue fruits and Asian spices are mind-blowing. It’s medium- to full-bodied with a mouth full of polished and refined, creamy tannins. It goes on for minutes. Endless. Seamless and gorgeous. Leave this for years ahead if you can keep your hands off it. Better after 2025.HK$4,100.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
The 2021 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz was made with fruit from the Roennenfeldt Road vineyard, in Marananga, with 70% whole bunches in the ferment. The northeastern corner of this vineyard is matured in concrete egg to preserve the blue-fruited core that defines the style of this wine; it is the only cuvée that features an alternate maturation vessel. I knew (before and) when I tasted the 2019 and 2020 vintages what I was going to get, by and large. When I was in the Barossa in June 2021, I was already thinking about what the Schubert would look like from this year, as the perceived fit of season and style had the potential to dovetail in a most titillating fashion—a "stars aligning" kind of thing. A cool season overlays a warm site capable of producing dark, dense, sometimes brooding, always pure Shiraz. The combination of concrete egg (and, in this case, a slightly shorter maturation in this vessel) and cooler year has produced a wine of scintillating precision and fruit sweetness. It glows with its own black light. It shimmers and oscillates between fruit luminescence and plush tannic texture, and in doing so, it barely contains its own energy and abundance. The distinction between this profusion of fruit and the old "fruit bombs" of yore is the precision of acid and pliable fruit tannin that defines the middle palate and the ability of the fruit (courtesy of the winemaking) to shine through the vessels in which it matured. The tannin that shapes the wine is plentiful, make no mistake, yet it is ductile and fine and threads through every aspect of the palate. A thrilling Schubert this year, it's like a strike of lightning on a dark night. This wine appeals most fervently to my penchant for freshness, energy and resonant bass line. 14.9% alcohol.HK$5,320.00 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
I'm excited to taste this, as it was my favorite cuvée last year. It usually changes year to year, given the seasons, and I like that. It's usually the only cuvée to enjoy the benefits of an alternate vessel—a concrete egg—and this year, the 2022 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz joins the Relic and the Standish as well. The impact of the egg in this wine is one of refinement, or so I see it; it retains a purity of fruit at the core, which speaks to the chalky tannins that spool through the finish. They're chewy and seductive and really great. It's a beautiful release—not shimmering like the 2021, but textural and fine and elongated in its way. It's a beguiling wine, a thinking wine. And, as with the other wines tasted alongside, the bottle that has been open for two days is infinitely more complete; however, it must be noted that this review is built on the freshly opened bottle.HK$5,320.00 -
Vinous (90)
(aged for 30 months in three-year-old French oak; this fruit at one point was allegedly purchased by Penfolds for its Grange bottling) Full ruby. Porty, superripe aromas of black cherry, crushed blackberry and gunflint. Fat, sweet, superripe and highly concentrated, with liqueur-like flavors of black fruits, dark chocolate and nuts. Not quite thick but its port-like ripeness will be a bit extreme for some tasters. Fans of this style will love it. (Epicurean Wines, Seattle WAHK$4,390.00 -
(3x150cl) 2006Wine Advocate (95)
The 2006 Shiraz was sourced from a single parcel of 98 year old vines yielding a minuscule 0.5 tons of fruit per acre. It was aged for 36 months in seasoned French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it offers up a superb, room-filling bouquet of cigar box, baking spices, smoked meat, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. On the palate this harmonious, velvety-textured effort is voluptuous, full-flavored, succulent, and exceptionally long. It has enough structure to evolve for 4-6 years but will be hard to resist early on. Its prime drinking window will extend from 2014 to 2026.HK$6,520.00 -
Wine Advocate (98-100)
The 2018 The Standish Shiraz (a sample blend from barrel) is a bit stalky (it's about 50% whole cluster), but it's gorgeously perfumed, with hints of herbal tea, raspberries, blackberries and licorice. It just exudes complexity, while also being full-bodied, plush and creamy, with a long, elegant finish. This seamless beauty is a candidate for perfection.HK$1,120.00 -
Wine Advocate (98-100)
The 2018 The Standish Shiraz (a sample blend from barrel) is a bit stalky (it's about 50% whole cluster), but it's gorgeously perfumed, with hints of herbal tea, raspberries, blackberries and licorice. It just exudes complexity, while also being full-bodied, plush and creamy, with a long, elegant finish. This seamless beauty is a candidate for perfection.HK$4,960.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Such concentrated blueberry and cherry aromas, as well as violets and fresh-earth aromas. This delivers an immediate sense of richness with chocolate in the mix, too. Very pure. The palate has a very resolved feel with deep, essence-like fruit flavors that hold a rich, plum and blackberry line that drives long and very even. This is really something. Drink over the next decade.HK$3,600.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2020 The Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, in Greenock. The first vintage was 1999. This vintage saw 30% whole bunches in the ferment. It offers notes of red dirt, a bit of blood, salted heirloom tomato and satsuma plum. This is concentrated, compacted, plush, dense and muscular, with notes of ras el’hanout, allspice, torched cinnamon and salted Dutch licorice. This wine is like playing "Magic Eye." There’s a lot going on, but if you relax, a pattern emerges and the detail becomes obvious for all to see. Within the fine but plushly tannic frame, there is saltbush and bay leaf, exotic spice and cascading layers of berry fruits. The dirt in which the roots are entangled similarly shows its colors—and these are red, ochre, earth and dust. At first glance, the foolish and the rash will overlook this for being singularly muscular and full-bodied, but like all the best IYKYK (if you know, you know—wink wink) scenarios, there is far more than meets the palate here. Another blockbuster Standish.HK$4,100.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2022 The Standish Shiraz is again providing me with the opportunity to assess bottles two days apart, and how different they are. The freshly opened bottle, as we would all experience upon our first opening, is tight and fresh, with cracked fennel seed, black peppercorns, cumin and ras el'hanout, then dried blueberries and licorice, hints of arnica and raspberry. It's cool and mineral, with a graphite finish. I cannot overstate how much better the wine tastes after two days. All of the edges smooth out, and it is composed and complete ... what a wine. Balance and harmony in a single swoop. It's savory, though. Super.HK$5,320.00 -
James Suckling (94)
Aromas of blackberry and dark chocolate with toasted spices, cherry, raspberry coulis and vanilla. Like a liquid black forest cake. Rippling with intensity and concentration, the palate has very soft and satiny tannins that sit smoothly into the finish. Sultry. Drink over the next five years.HK$4,200.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
The 2020 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier is made with fruit from the Hongell family vineyard in Krondorf, with 15% to 20% whole bunches in the ferment and 1% Viognier skins co-fermented. This is the best I’ve seen it. There’s something about the combination of the hot year and the diminished yields—it has recoiled and recompressed the Viognier on top of and into the Shiraz and brought them into balance/harmony. Beneath its floral and stone fruit guiles is a pool of savory, muscular, red-dirt Shiraz. There is bacon fat and pure berry fruit and spice for days… I’ve recently looked at a previous vintage of this wine alongside an older but immaculate Chateau d’Ampuis, and while their origins were clear in the glass, the Relic proved an Australian perspective more than relevant. The balance between the varieties—and the classic push/pull of sweet and savory—is more harmonious this year than in any I can remember, and the only thing I am more excited about when I consider this wine is what I will say next year, through the lens of an excellent, cool and elegant year. What a fine pair they will make.HK$4,170.00 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
The 2022 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier contains 2% Viognier skins, and this addition presents in this vintage as a core of raspberry and pomegranate. It is pure fruited and powerfully aromatic, as this cuvee always is. Interestingly, I am tasting this wine from two different glasses: one opened two days ago, one opened this morning. They are quite different, telling us once again that oxygen really is a friend to this producer, especially if choosing to drink these wines young. While the bottle opened two days ago is complete, balanced and utterly refined, it speaks more of its florals and fruit than it does its savory register of spice and complexity. However, the wine opened today has nuances of bacon fat and exotic spice. It is tightly coiled and springy and nowhere near as giving as the former. So, choose your own path. This vintage is a prettier, finer but no less long or coiled version of itself, and it will prove to be one of the greats in the cellar. The tannins certainly are a highlight for me. Built for age but also, in the framework of this beautiful season, absolutely available to you right now. An effortless beauty, here.HK$4,275.00 -
Hailing from the esteemed wine region of Margaret River in Western Australia, the Stella Bella Suckfizzle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2004 is the epitome of fine winemaking. A true manifestation of meticulous viticulture and innovative vinification, it's crafted by Stella Bella, known for their commitment to producing small quantities of world-class wines. This complex yet elegant ensemble of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, hand-picked from low-yielding old vines, undergoes fermentation in new French oak barrels, offering it an illustrious depth of flavour. Expect delightful hints of fig, citrus and underlying minerality, adorned with a tantalising, long finish. Aged for 10 months on lees, this opulent wine reflects the perfect harmony of power and finesse. Hailed by critics, the Stella Bella Suckfizzle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2004 resonates with the subtle sophistication you'd expect from an age-worthy white. A must-have addition to any fine wine collection.
HK$2,860.00 -
The Stella Bella Suckfizzle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 truly stands out as an exemplar of Margaret River's subtlety and sophistication. Crafted by the acclaimed winemaker, Stella Bella, the wine hails from the southernmost vineyard in the region, sourcing only the finest Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. This vintage, barrel-fermented and matured for ten months, exudes a delightful complexity and textured palate. Vivid notes of citrus and tropical fruits are balanced with an underpinning minerality and crisp acidity, leading to an enduring finish. Stella Bella's commitment to traditional winemaking methods helps fashion this exquisite blend, resulting in a wine that deftly integrates depth, intensity, and finesse. The Stella Bella Suckfizzle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 expertly encapsulates the mastery of its terrain and terroir with its nuanced flavours and poised elegance, providing a sublime experience for the most discerning of palates.
HK$2,860.00 -
The Western Australian (98)
This is a remarkable wine that captures the essence of this variety in a way not seen before in Australia. It’s a medium-bodied wine yet the palate delivers deep and complex flavours through to an exceptional finish. Has a European gravelly, grainy mouthfeel that carries plenty of intensity albeit delivered with such poise and almost shy coyness.HK$4,220.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020HK$1,665.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (97)
This is a spectacular chardonnay, eschewing malolactic in the name of precision and freshness, while sacrificing nothing in the way of flavour and textural detail in doing so. A reductive riff of gunflint segues to notes of white fig, honeydew melon, nectarine and creamed cashew. A chassis of mineral and bright acidity carry the flavours long and broad, chaperoned by high class oak that is nestled into the fray. This will age beautifully over the coming decade, but oozes class and such poise already that it is difficult to refrain from opening a bottle or, at least in my case, finishing the glass.HK$3,180.00 -
Ray Jordan (98)
Winemaker Brian Croser is pretty excited about this wine, and a quick sniff and extended sip, and I think I know why. Like the rest of Australia, it was a very small crop resulting in a wine of deep fruit concentration. Once again, the wine spent an extended time until February this year on full lees, allowing pick up of further complexity and textural mouth feel. The striking feature is the palate power and length. I have tasted many of these wines but I don’t think I have tasted better.HK$2,380.00 -
(6x150cl) 2021Wine Advocate (97+)
This 2021 Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard is a sensational wine. Let me tell you about the vineyard, and then we'll come back to the glass. The Tiers vineyard was planted in the Picadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills by the Croser family in 1979. The vineyard lays at an elevation of around 450 meters (1,477 feet) above sea level at its highest point, and the wine was made by Brian Croser, an important name in Australian wine. The 2021 vintage was a goodie in South Australia. The start to the season (spring and around) was the recipient of a good level of rainfall and no ill-timed events, meaning fruit set and yields were decent, and the growing season itself was without heat events or challenges, meaning the picking windows were chosen based on the fruit, with no forced hands. So, to the wine. This is powerful, concentrated and shapely, with a core of pure citrus acidity (it's zesty and pithy). The fruit speaks of yellow peach and preserved lemon and a hint of white tea. The wine undulates across the tongue and shows line and poise that elevate it to the very top of the Chardonnay tree in Australia. One of the greats. I daresay it'll be even better in 2025.HK$3,505.00 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
This 2021 Chardonnay Tiers Vineyard is a sensational wine. Let me tell you about the vineyard, and then we'll come back to the glass. The Tiers vineyard was planted in the Picadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills by the Croser family in 1979. The vineyard lays at an elevation of around 450 meters (1,477 feet) above sea level at its highest point, and the wine was made by Brian Croser, an important name in Australian wine. The 2021 vintage was a goodie in South Australia. The start to the season (spring and around) was the recipient of a good level of rainfall and no ill-timed events, meaning fruit set and yields were decent, and the growing season itself was without heat events or challenges, meaning the picking windows were chosen based on the fruit, with no forced hands. So, to the wine. This is powerful, concentrated and shapely, with a core of pure citrus acidity (it's zesty and pithy). The fruit speaks of yellow peach and preserved lemon and a hint of white tea. The wine undulates across the tongue and shows line and poise that elevate it to the very top of the Chardonnay tree in Australia. One of the greats. I daresay it'll be even better in 2025.HK$2,280.00

