Vinous (93-95)

The 2019 Echézeaux Grand Cru contains 60% whole bunches. It comes from three plots that, still, only made two and a half barrels this year. It has a very well defined bouquet that seems to blossom in the glass, although it will need some time for the stems to be assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very peppery in style with touches of white pepper and bay leaf towards the persistent finish. This is a classy wine, one that is not unlike Dujac’s Echézeaux!

Wine Spectator (98)

This sings like a chorus that never runs out of breath. Layers of currant and dark plum fruit harmonize with black walnut, licorice, smoke and coffee notes, weaving through the long and immensely expressive finish. Has depth and great presence. Shiraz.

Wine Advocate (99)

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Hill of Grace Shiraz is a little reticent on the nose to begin, opening out to a somewhat paradoxically tantalizing Black Forest cake, beef dripping, fertile loam and tree bark nose with hints of black pepper, Marmite, bay leaves, eucalyptus, licorice and baker’s chocolate. The medium to full-bodied palate is a wonderfully intricate mélange of mineral, savory, dark fruits and spice layers, framed by velvety tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing epically. This is a truly great Hill of Grace that has just entered the first stage of its drinking window and should continue to develop beautifully over the next 25+ years.

James Suckling (100)

This has a very complex nose, offering so many facets of spices and fragrance with florals and orange peel, as well as crushed stones, ripe black cherries, blackberries and dark cherries, earth, chocolate and more. The intensity and power here is very tightly held and it has a build of such precise tannins, which carry very intense and assertively ripe blackberries, dark cherries, ripe plums and blueberries. So much on offer here. This has a very bold, intense feel. Exceptional vintage. One of their finest. Try from 2028. Screw cap.

James Suckling (97)

Such a luxuriant, elegant and complex young wine, this is the younger-vine material from Hill of Grace Vineyard (27-year-old vines in 2015). Multidimensional with brown spices, such as cloves and allspice, dried sage, orange peel, red berries, camphor wood and roses. A succulent palate with elegance and focus, offering blue plums and a very fine core of tannin to support such intense, vibrant fruit. Light, espresso-washed chocolate flavors lie across the fine, long and polished tannins that shape the fresh, balanced finish. A great wine that shows the DNA of the Hill of Grace terroir in a humbler mode. Beautiful now, but this will age for more than two decades. Glass-stopper closure.

Decanter (97)

Powerful but unobtrusive tannins – like an engine purring – support dark, perfectly ripe blackberry, mulberry and plum fruit, with hints of strawberry, red fruit leather and smoked charcuterie notes from the oak. Spice and dried herb nuances unfurl over three days, beautifully articulating the terroir and its 104-year-old vines through notes of black pepper, sage, tea tree, star anise, mint and cardamom. Ripe and refreshing redcurrant sustains the sweet, spiced fruit through the long, sinuous finish. Terrific purity, poise and panache. Released at £137.

Vinous (92-95)

A rich, deeply layered wine, the 2012 Echezeaux covers every corner of the palate. Dark red cherries, plums, menthol, licorice, smoke and new leather are some of the many notes that blossom in a wine that stands out for its superb balance and potential. This is another wine with significant promise for the future.

Wine Advocate (92-94)

The 2015 Echézeaux Grand Cru, of which there are two barrels this year, has a fragrant wild strawberry, Morello and woodland-scented bouquet that is beautifully defined and neatly enmeshed with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied, here showing a little more of the wood influence than the nose, though there is good depth with a slightly savory finish that just needs to develop more persistence once in bottle. There is energy packed into this Echézeaux and I can see it repaying those sage enough to cellar it for 6-8 years.

A connoisseur's delight, the Love Over Gold Menglers Hill Love Over Gold Shiraz 2014 is the epitome of opulence. This handcrafted, single-vineyard wine hails from the prestigious Menglers Hill, situated within the acclaimed South Australian wine region, Barossa Valley. It is the creation of the renaissance winemaker, Warrick Duthy, the impassioned force behind the boutique wine label, Love Over Gold.

The 2014 vintage encapsulates the vineyard's story with its exceptional purity and intensity. The grapes endured a growing season of dry, warm days and cool evenings, producing a wine enrobed in powerful dark fruit flavours, tempered with refined acidity and structured tannins. Nineteen months in French oak barrels imbued the Shiraz with complex layers of chocolate, vanilla, and spice, making each sip a revelation. The Love Over Gold Menglers Hill Love Over Gold Shiraz 2014 is undeniably an unforgettable imprint of time and place, a testament to the art of winemaking.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-93)

Good deep red. Slightly reduced aromas of strawberry, smoke, mocha and minerals. Supple and sweet, but with a peppery element and firm tannic spine giving shape to the raspberry and strawberry fruit. Finishes solid, aromatic and long, with tannins that reach the front teeth.

James Suckling (96)

Attractive bath powder and lemon blossom as well as white peach, grapefruit and some flint. The palate has a super fleshy feel with a blaze of acidity and long, fresh lemon, grapefruit and white-peach flavors. Good acidity and concentration. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Exhibiting grandeur and elegance, the Philippe Pacalet Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017 hails from the prestigious vineyards of Burgundy, France. Renowned winemaking artisan Philippe Pacalet employs traditional, organic practices to craft wines that sing of their terroir. This opulent Pinot Noir, matured for 16 months in old French oak barrels, astonishes with its complexity and length. With aromas of ripe red cherries, lavender and rich loamy earth, the bouquet is merely a precursor of the sensual flavours contained within.

On the palate, the Philippe Pacalet Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017 offers a captivating medley of decadent black fruits, subtle spices and velvety tannins. An alluring balance of power and elegance, underscored by a remarkable minerality and freshness, it typifies Pacalet's respect for nature and prowess in winemaking. Savour this outstanding embodiment of Burgundy’s esteemed Echezeaux Grand Cru, a wine of class, harmony and enduring appeal.

Wine Advocate (98)

Just like last year, this patch of the Eden Valley has turned out a magnificent wine. The 2018 Yacca Block Menglers Hill Shiraz boasts fragrant notes of violets and blueberries spiced with hints of cinnamon, caramel and roasted meat. It's the biggest of the Block wines, labeled at 14.3% alcohol, but despite being full-bodied, comes across as impeccably balanced. It's fleshy and generous, but supple tannins, which turn silky on the lengthy finish, keep the overall impression one of savory elegance.