September Releases 2024

Another Vin de Constance that is impossible to resist as soon as you nose it - aromatic fireworks of apricot and honey draw you into the glass. On the palate there is unrestrained generosity with an orange and ginger intensity, but just as the sweetness crescendoes a herbal, savoury edge rides in on the crisp line of acidity to keep it all in check. It’s hard not to be flowery about such a magnificent wine.

Notes of verbena, white flowers and wet rocks this is a wine with impeccable balance. A real tightrope of sweet, salty and sour this so lively on the palate, with pulses of salinity. Citrus and stone fruit with some fresh herbs too, the finish is graceful and fluid – a true Saar Riesling.

A very pure and elegant Riesling with notes of wet rock, ocean spray, jasmine and white grapefruit zest. This is superbly balanced and linear on the palate with a pure crystalline quality. Chiselled from start to finish, it will age extremely well.

A brooding and impressive nose of cracked pepper, a little cocoa dust and dried lavender the 2022 vintage of Almaviva gives fireworks from the start. The palate is brood and confident with ripe, bramble fruits with layers of tension delivered through a dense tannin framework. A cooling menthol finish with accents of nutmeg and graphite linger for many minutes – this is one for the cellar.

A brooding and impressive nose of cracked pepper, a little cocoa dust and dried lavender the 2022 vintage of Almaviva gives fireworks from the start. The palate is brood and confident with ripe, bramble fruits with layers of tension delivered through a dense tannin framework. A cooling menthol finish with accents of nutmeg and graphite linger for many minutes – this is one for the cellar.

Another great vintage of one of Chile's greatest wines, and one that has a deeper, darker character to it than the 2021. Comparisons to top Bordeaux are apt, as the wine has the classic tannic structure of Cabernet Sauvignon but with a plushness and approachability that could only come from the Maipo Valley. As with stablemate Seña subtle moves have been made to preserve the freshness of the fruit, with slightly earlier picking resulting in a beautifully balanced, focused wine that really shows why Alto Maipo is considered the home of the greatest Cabernet in South America.

The third vintage of Seña's second wine and one that has really come into its own. The idea here isn't to make a 'lesser' Seña with younger vines, but rather a separate style incorporating Rhone varieties as well as the Bordeaux grapes that make up the majority of the blend. The result has a bright, energetic red and black fruit character, and a savoury, herbal finish which does a wonderful job of keeping the wine from being too opulent. Really impressive.

The superb 2022 vintage was another relatively cool year for Seña, like 2021, and the influence from proximity to the ocean can certainly be felt in the pure line of acidity and elegant fruit. Winemaker Francisco Baettig talks about 'fine tuning the style' of Seña in recent years, using old oak foudres and reducing the time spent ageing in barrel to avoid having the wine in wood over a second summer. The result is gorgeous and justifies Seña's position as one of the great red wines of the world, with a rich spiced fruit character and beautifully silky tannins. This has all the structure to age for a very long time, and will reward patience.

The superb 2022 vintage was another relatively cool year for Seña, like 2021, and the influence from proximity to the ocean can certainly be felt in the pure line of acidity and elegant fruit. Winemaker Francisco Baettig talks about 'fine tuning the style' of Seña in recent years, using old oak foudres and reducing the time spent ageing in barrel to avoid having the wine in wood over a second summer. The result is gorgeous and justifies Seña's position as one of the great red wines of the world, with a rich spiced fruit character and beautifully silky tannins. This has all the structure to age for a very long time, and will reward patience.

The superb 2022 vintage was another relatively cool year for Seña, like 2021, and the influence from proximity to the ocean can certainly be felt in the pure line of acidity and elegant fruit. Winemaker Francisco Baettig talks about 'fine tuning the style' of Seña in recent years, using old oak foudres and reducing the time spent ageing in barrel to avoid having the wine in wood over a second summer. The result is gorgeous and justifies Seña's position as one of the great red wines of the world, with a rich spiced fruit character and beautifully silky tannins. This has all the structure to age for a very long time, and will reward patience.

A true legend among Chilean wines, the 2021 Clos Apalta comprises 75% Carménère, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Merlot. This is a beautifully spiced, and expressive wine with notes of graphite, paprika, and cocoa. The palate is finely balanced with real energy but well clothed in ample blackberry fruits. A lift of lavender and violet on the finish, this is a real showstopper this year.

Cheval des Andes is an exceptional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (49%), Malbec (48%), and a touch of Petit Verdot (3%) from Las Compuertas and Paraje Altamira in Mendoza. There's lots of cassis, violet, and blackberry compote, with spiced undertones and a lifted herbal palate. 2021 was a cooler vintage and this is shown in the nuanced elegance of this wine with a lengthy and energetic finish.

Another Vin de Constance that is impossible to resist as soon as you nose it - aromatic fireworks of apricot and honey draw you into the glass. On the palate there is unrestrained generosity with an orange and ginger intensity, but just as the sweetness crescendoes a herbal, savoury edge rides in on the crisp line of acidity to keep it all in check. It’s hard not to be flowery about such a magnificent wine.

This year sees one of the highest proportions ever of Cabernet Franc in the blend at 9% to compliment the 87% Cabernet and 4% Merlot. The 2021 Rubicon is tightly coiled, muscular with real depth and energy running through the core of cassis fruit. It offers notes of cocoa nibs, cedar, with pencil shavings and a hint of five spice on the finish. This is brilliant Rubicon that is fresh, supple and robust.

The 2021 vintage of Opus is a paean to Cabernet, comprising an unusually high 93% of the blend this year. The aromatics are like fireworks of star anise, cinnamon, cardamon, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the Cabernet fruit shines through with notes of black cherry, plum and ripe blackcurrant pastille fruit. The 2021 opens with some flamboyance and confidence but tightens up on the palate, suggesting real density and longevity. The tannins are supple and very fine-grained with a lift of pomegranate and violets on the finish.

This is the first vintage dated bottling of Opus One’s second wine, and this year a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot. It is juicy and caressing on the palate with joyful black hedgerow fruit that wraps across the mouth. There is a tingle of earthy minerality, iris and violet with accents of coffee and cocoa on the finish.

The 2021 Inglenook Estate Cabernet is so pure and focused finding the perfect balance between power and richness but also finesse and energy. The cassis fruit is irresistible and caressing on the palate but there is also a salinity and direction. Aromas of cedar, cocoa and bramble fruit lift from the glass with a core of graphite and pencil lead. The finish is intense with real depth and poise.

The 2022 RWT Bin 798 captures the spirit of the Barossa Valley. Tense and coiled in structure, this is built to age, with a dense core of blackberry and plum, with black olive, earth, and licorice complexity on show. It spends 14 months in 100% new french oak and there's a bold structural component with creamy, vanilla flavours as a result. Dense and muscular now, with incredible concentration.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707 is a blend from the varied solis of Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Padthaway and is matured for 16 months in new American oak hogsheads. Coonawarra is becoming more and more of the signature here, giving lots of fresh cassis and refreshing herbal character. It's built to age, with a firm, muscular structure but a lot of complex flavour to match, and it should soften into a brilliant 707 with time in bottle.

With fruit sourced from Australia’s coolest vine growing regions - Tumbarumba, Tasmania and Adelaide Hills - Penfolds have produced another masterfully blended wine of verve and focus. Aromas of candied lime, fennel and hay are followed by an enveloping, persistent finish. A wine to revisit for decades to come.

One of Australia's most iconic Shiraz wines. Superb depth with inky black fruit lifted by notes of violet and herbs. Concentrated on the palate, yet with a refreshing backbone of acidity. Ripe tannins and liqorice and spice on the finish. A wonderful wine.