Decanter (100)

Proprietor Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni established this label in 2014. Entirely estate fruit, comprising beautiful rich berry scents, oak, crushed rocks and a saline minerality tinged with dark chocolate. Enveloping, full and broad-shouldered. Saturated dark berry fruit, chocolate layer cake, vanilla and dried herbs de provence round out this Cabernet with its fierce tannins that are nicely integrated.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

87% Cabernet sauvignon, with 7/3/2/1% merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. Matured for 15 months in barrique, 45% new. Cassis and red licorice on the nose, bay and salt bush, too. The palate is salty and fine with layers upon layers of spice and texture. The tannins are like finely textured gills, stacked as delicately as the folds in a mushroom. The length of flavour unfurls and extends across the palate, taking so long to fade that this entire tasting note is possible off one sip. The rest are just for pleasure. Drink it now, or in 40+ years from now… both will be possible.

It contains two bottles of each:

2x75cl Perihelios - 100 points | Jeb Dunnuck

2x75cl Polysipine - 98+ points - Jeb Dunnuck

2x75cl Sine Fine - 98 points | Jeb Dunnuck

100 points | Jeb Dunnuck (Perihelios)

One of two perfect wines in the lineup of 2018s, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Perihelios comes from Thomas Rivers Brown and is another seamless, elegant, yet powerful wine that’s just a joy to taste. Cassis, blackberries, tobacco, graphite, licorice, and a kiss of iron define this incredible beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. Coming mostly from the Upper Range Vineyard and brought up in new barrels, it has ample up-front appeal given its balance, purity, and texture, yet there's no shortage of tannins, and it's going to evolve gracefully for 20-25 years or more.

98+ points | Jeb Dunnuck (Polysipine)

Made by Philippe Melka and a blend of sites, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Polyspline is all Cabernet Sauvignon that saw a small amount of barrel fermentation and aging in 88% new French oak. It's the most structured, backward, and in need of bottle age of the trio and has a dense purple hue to go with powerful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco, licorice, spicy oak, and graphite. Full-bodied on the palate, it's a powerhouse of a wine that has a great mid-palate, building, substantial tannins, and a great, great finish. It needs to be forgotten for at least 4-5 years but will have decades of longevity.

98 points | Jeb Dunnuck (Sine Fine)

Coming from the talented Benoit Touquette, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sine Fine offers more blue fruits as well as lots of floral, violet, iron, spicy wood, and lead pencil-like aromatics. Another exuberant, incredibly sexy wine under the Fairest Creature label, it’s full-bodied and has just about perfect tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a gorgeous finish. It's already impossible to resist, yet I've no doubt this will evolve for 20-25 years or more. The purity of fruit as well as the tannins in this wine are exceptional.

Experience the distinctive taste of Fortunate Son The Warrior 2019, exquisite wine crafted in the renowned vineyards of Sonoma County, California. This bold red blend exhibits a smooth, harmonious composition of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre grape varieties, matured splendidly in a balanced climate of cool nights and warm days.

Employing a traditional fermentation process in stainless steel vats with gentle pump-overs, the Warrior 2019 demonstrates the Fortunate Son winery's commitment to preserving the integrity and characteristics of each varietal. Aged in French oak barrels, this grand cuvée unveils intricate layers of blackberry, cassis and anise, underscored by notes of mocha and subtle earthiness.

Fortunate Son The Warrior 2019 encapsulates the unwavering dedication of its producers to quality and complexity. A testament of excellence, it seamlessly melds time-honoured techniques and modern innovation, making this full-bodied wine a precious addition to any well-curated collection.

Matthew Jukes (19+)

This is a genuinely outstanding Mount Edelstone, with glorious fruit and multi-layered complexity. The nose sings of the Eden Valley with a sage and black fruit cocktail of flavours, and the texture is pure velvet. This is a cracker of a wine and a classic Mount Edelstone to boot, and it is already bafflingly precocious. But don’t worry because behind the exultant volleys of pristine fruit lurks muscle and crunchy tannin that will propel this wine forward for two decades and more. As time ticks on I become more and more enamoured by Mount Edelstone and this is another release that will handsomely reward those who manage to track down stock.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

Packed full of vivid (there really doesn't seem any other word for it) cassis and blueberry fruits, floral, textural and nuanced. Cabernet Sauvignon signature mix of crushed rocks, mint, crayon and slate, just a brilliant wine and a reflection of its exceptional site. This is elegant and precise while still delivering muscular, powerful flavours. I first tasted it at the property last November, and it's reassuring to see it make exactly the same impression when retasted back in Bordeaux, away from the awe-inspiring landscape. Harvest September 10 through to October 23. David Cilli winemaker, director Will Harlan.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Possibly the wine of the vintage is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon which is a more elegant, seamless wine compared to the more brooding and backward 2015. Exhibiting a deep purple color and utterly heavenly notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, white flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, insane purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. While a big, powerful wine, it’s the purity of fruit and tannin quality that sets this incredible wine at the top of the pyramid. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection from Napa Valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is, as always, all Cabernet Sauvignon from an incredible site in Rutherford that spent 21 months in 70% new French oak. Incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, darker currants, smoke, tobacco, and assorted floral notes all define the bulk of the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and perfect balance. This is such a magical site, and this wine consistently checks in with the greatest wines of the world. It already offers pleasure yet should have 30 years of overall longevity. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch and the team at Scarecrow.

James Suckling (95)

Aromas of white pepper, rose hip, strawberry, baked cherry, rosemary and thyme. Full-bodied with fine, chewy tannins. Bright and vibrant on the palate, with juicy fruit and spice. Succulent. Clear, transparent and fresh. Lovely tension here, which will unravel with time. A pleasure. Best after 2025.

James Suckling (96)

A complex nose of blueberry, raspberry, red cherry, violet, bark, moss and grated nutmeg. Medium- to full-bodied with silky, fruit-soaked tannins. Generous, but not overdone. Rather, it is fresh, bright and vibrant, with a bevy of succulent fruit and ground spice. Layered, with great balance. Vegan. Best after 2025. Screw cap.

James Suckling (97)

I have tasted this producer's wines for a time now and adore the grenaches. Often my preference is for the Sands of Time cuvée but in 2021, a vintage of such effortless quality, This Charming Man ascends. Bitter red-fruit, orange-pastille, tea-tree, dried-thyme, bracken and sandalwood riffs are beautifully compressed by a phalanx of brushwood tannins. Mid-weighted Nebbiolo vibes. Very fine. Extremely long. An exquisite grenache. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (95+)

The 2021 The Vagabond Old Vine Grenache is exotic, fine and layered with silty, black tea tannins. It is the mid-palate onward where the succulence of fruit is revealed, and this comes across as fine but flows up with lithe, ripe fruit and complex spice notes. Eminently balanced and poised, this fills the mouth and the mind simultaneously. Yes.

Decanter (99)

Owned since 2011 by Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw of Shaw & Smith Wines in the Adelaide Hills, the 20ha northeast facing Tolpuddle vineyard occupies a prime position in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley. The pair saw the vineyard’s potential immediately, and have been producing exceptional single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ever since. There was a particularly wet start to 2021 – one of the coolest on record – resulting in much smaller but more concentrated grapes. Harvested by hand, the grapes are whole-bunch pressed then aged in French oak for nine months. Vincenzo Arnese: The nose is fresh and ripe with incredible structure, showing quince, candied lemon peel, grapefruit juice and subtle oak. A lingering acidity completes the frame of this outstanding wine. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: A wonder of lightness and precision; a hedonistic mix of immediate restrained pleasure and long-term intellectual provocation. An amazingly subtle and complex finish. I adore this wine. Amanda Barnes: Aromas of gunflint, lavender, lemon peel and wet stones lead into a mouthfilling yet svelte wine with mouthwatering acidity and a long, savoury finish. Will cellar well for more than a decade. Nominated by Sarah Ahmed