Australia & NZ
These far-flung wine regions may be referred to ‘new’ when compared against the historic European wine regions, but they have a long winemaking history. Spared from Phylloxera, Australia in particular has world's highest concentration of venerable vines and legendary producers such as Penfolds, Henschke and Tyrell’s have been around for over 150 years. Though for many years piggybacking on Europe’s successes, branding their own wines as ‘Chablis’, ‘Hermitage’ etc., Australia now have created a real identity of their own, making inimitable styles like Coonawarra Cabernet or Hunter Valley Semillon.
New Zealand doesn’t quite have as an extensive history but has established itself in an astonishingly short amount of time as a reliable source of whistle clean, distinctive examples of varietals like Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
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Australia & NZ
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The Real Review (98)
Deepish red colour with just a trace of purple in its rim, the bouquet is pungent raspberry, squashed overripe raspberry, classic Mt Edelstone. The wine is succulently fruit-sweet: gorgeously extravagant fruit floods the palate. It's almost jammy, the fine but persistent tannins just pulling it together on the finish so the aftertaste and follow-through are clean and balanced and refreshing. Lush fruit flavour, astonishing texture, very old-viney, a very impressive Edelstone. A stand-out vintage for this wine.د.إ2,650.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2016 Shiraz Mount Edelstone offers robust layers of blackberry and sandy earth with warming alcohol. It is a bold and muscular expression of site, with impressive fruit power, minerality and tannin density. The finish is strong, tannic and beautifully composed. This will be fabulous in time.د.إ2,480.00 -
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.د.إ3,605.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Notes of mint, sage and bay leaf accent bold aromas of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries on the nose of Hobbs's 2018 1905 Shiraz. Picked later than the Gregor but not dried prior to fermentation, it's a well-behaved 14.7% alcohol wine that would be at home on the table alongside a tomahawk ribeye, roast lamb or any long-cooked stew. Full-bodied and intense, it not only shows tremendous complexity—mixing red and dark berries with various herbal nuances and hints of licorice, coffee beans and seared meat—but also boasts a rich, velvety mouthfeel combined with notable drinkability. It's a terrific contrast in style with the Gregor, showing more elegance but not nearly as much power.د.إ2,875.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2018 Gregor Shiraz was partially dried prior to crushing and fermentation, so it packs considerable concentration and power, weighing in at 15.8% alcohol on the label. It's a blockbuster in every sense of the word, from its huge aromas of mint, blueberries and plums to the mind-bending intensity on the full-bodied palate. Although not as raisined or alcoholic as Dal Forno's Amarone, there are similarities in size and structure, with waves of velvety, super ripe fruit and dark chocolate bolstered by softly dusty tannins and mouthwatering acidity on a finish that must be tasted to be believed. Wow!د.إ2,135.00 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2012 Shiraz The Armagh offers a gorgeous perfume of baking spices, violets, Sichuan pepper and fragrant earth. More earthy and savory in the mouth than on the nose, the palate is superbly structured and taut—built for the long-haul—with a long, complex finish. Still very youthfully, forget this wine for 3-5 more years and consider drinking it over the next 20+.د.إ4,300.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.د.إ2,065.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.د.إ4,770.00 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
The Barry brothers sent me a second bottle of the 2022 The Florita Riesling, which I am tasting here today, because they felt that it wasn't showing as well as it could the first time when I tasted it in October (it had only been bottled four weeks prior). In truth, I think it was showing just as well then as it is now, and it is a superstar. 2022 seemed to harness the fruit from the vineyard and boost it: more power, more concentration, more acid, more vivid ... just such exceptional wines. I've said this before, but 2022 could easily be the best vintage in the last 20 years, and for those who know, that takes us back to the great, the age-worthy, the revered 2002 vintage. This is a collector's year. Do not waste the opportunity, because the vintage, coupled with the screw-cap closure, will allow the wine to age for a long time.د.إ948.00 -
(6x75cl) 2017Halliday Wine Companion (97)
Made from centenarian vines in Light Pass, matured for 15 months in used French oak. This is a glorious manifestation of the '17 vintage, its cool conditions retaining freshness of fruit at a very modest alcohol level. A sheer pleasure to drink.د.إ929.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (98)
Eligo is made from the best parcels of the vintage, fermented with submerged caps in small open fermenters, matured for 20 months in French hogsheads (50% new). The tannins and oak are built into the wine like an inlaid checkerboard table created by a master craftsman with decades of experience. Like John Duval.د.إ1,525.00 -
(6x75cl) 2017Halliday Wine Companion (97)
John Duval is a master blender. This is all about the best of the vintage, fruit from various sites across the and Eden Barossa Valleys, to morph into the mighty Eligo. A powerhouse of flavour yet never loses focus. Dark plums infused with star anise, cinnamon, Dutch licorice and soy sauce. Full-bodied with velvety rich tannins. It gets the most oak - French hogsheads 54% new, aged 18 months, and needs time to settle in. It will.د.إ1,265.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (99)
From old vines in five districts, fermented with submerged cap, matured in French hogsheads (32% new) for 15 months. Complex and rich from the first whiff through to the aftertaste, not wasting a single berry in this great vintage. So much power, such elegance.د.إ1,350.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (98)
A full-bodied wine of ultimate coherence and quality, the bouquet setting the signal for the palate to follow. Attention to detail is obvious, especially the handling of tannins and oak. The integration of these components with the blackcurrant fruit is faultless.د.إ4,225.00 -
The Vintage Journal (98)
Deep crimson. Complex blackcurrant, blackberry, praline, roasted chestnut mocha, marzipan notes. Richly flavoured, round and smooth with beautiful pure blackcurrant, blackberry mocha espresso flavours, fine loose-knit grainy tannins and underlying roasted chestnut, toffee notes. Finishes chocolaty and long with a long life ahead.د.إ3,335.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
Deep garnet colored, the 2005 Hillside Shiraz reveals a wonderfully expressive, spicy nose with some notes of game, potpourri, dried cranberries and kirsch. It is a glorious, full-bodied wine packed with complex flavor layers, medium-firm velvety tannins and balanced acid. It finishes long. Drink it now to 2017+.د.إ1,210.00 -
(12x75cl) 2020Vinous (91)
There's a sense of calm to the 2020 Chardonnay Estate, a blend of six different sites. It is mellow, offering a plump cushion of Chardonnay goodness on the midpalate but not becoming heavy nor opulent, its youthful edge and fresh acidity tying it together into a precise finish. It offers classic subtle Chardonnay characters of Golden Delicious apple, white nectarine and a mere whiff of oak-derived smokiness. Well constructed, satisfying and elegant.د.إ1,115.00 -
James Suckling (93)
This is fresh, crunchy and clean, with mineral and spice notes and plenty of salty undertones. Sliced lemons and apples. Medium-bodied with a fresh finish. Drink now. Screw cap.د.إ515.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019Wine Advocate (96)
The 2019 Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay is straight out of the blocks with power and intensity. It is concentrated, with a scintillating score of gravelly phenolics that drag the fruit characters out over the palate. It veritably glitters with intense fruit, which is tropical without being mushy or sweet at all. The oak feels toasty, and the fruit and the acid are all in harmony. This is impressive plus.د.إ1,398.00 -
Vinous (97)
The Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard, appears to have gone on a yoga retreat in 2020: not only is its usual powerful self, but it's remarkably zen too, exuding a sense of calmness. It is full-bodied, round and offers fruit ripeness, but the propensity of the Mendoza clone to hen-and-chicks means that it retains a sense of nerve, with powerful citrusy acidity providing the needle that pulls a tight thread through this wine's core. The 2020 is still far too young, and it is aromatically shy, but even in its full mature glory, it won't exhibit aromatic fireworks – nor should it. This is Chardonnay. Okay, you might detect lemon and limes, white flowers and just-ripe white nectarine, with 30% new oak imbuing an additional layer of savoriness, but when it comes down to it, this wine's trump card is in its shape, texture and persistence.د.إ2,070.00 -
Wine Advocate (89+)
Deep garnet-purple in color and replete with aromas of ripe mulberries, black currants and black cherries with suggestions of black pepper, bacon, tree bark and star anise, the medium-bodied 2010 Syrah offers just enough black fruit, savory and spicy flavors in the mouth and is supported by a low to medium level of rounded tannins, perky acid and a finish with good length. Drink it now to 2018+.د.إ4,120.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Such impressive red plums and mulberries are delivered in bright, pure style here with dark, violet florals. Then there’s a wealth of savory notes, such as cedar, gun flint and cloves. It is so complex already. The palate delivers a very convincing array of purple-berry and plum flavors that completely coat the mouth. So harmonious, the resolve, depth and purity this wields is so impressive. Long and pure dark-berry flavors abound. Like a great young Cos d’Estournel! Drink or cellar for 15 plus years. Screw cap. 200 dozen made.د.إ1,490.00 -
د.إ2,260.00 -
Wine Pilot (99)
In many ways the most Burgundian of any of the Leeuwin releases, this will rank up there with the best to date. There’s a waxy light mealy aroma which picks up nuances of limestone and spice with a trace of grapefruit. But it is the palate that really distinguishes it. There is an austerity with the minerally chalky feel that cuts through the fruit extending to a finish of extraordinary length. Precision and focus harness a wine of great power and poise before dry savoury edges lift the finish.د.إ3,435.00 -
Ray Jordan (99)
It would not surprise me if this was considered the greatest Leeuwin chardonnay yet. You would get no argument from me... there is elegance and power here. Subtle layered wine. It was a year of great concentration and power. Has pear and lime character that is part of the DNA. The fruit is generous, especially about the mid palate. Has a subtle and not overstated flinty character with a lift of spice. The oak is brilliantly managed and complementary. It's very tight and precise and the whole-bunch technique gives it that stalky, phenolics character. There's a savoury almond meal character on the finish. Incredible length and power here. The minerally character on the finish is quite pronounced. In the top three, certainly, of any Leeuwin chardonnay.د.إ6,895.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
Has been through a few subtle iterations in recent years and this one reverts to a previous style which is more generous and immediately flavoursome. Has a creamy texture with a light lemon curd and peachy stone fruit all held with deliberate restraint to give it that extra polish and classy dimension.د.إ1,325.00 -
(6x75cl) 2013Vinous (90)
Bright medium red. Sexy spicy lift to the aromas of red raspberry, underbrush and wild herbs. Broad, dry and classic in a savory Burgundian style, conveying a restrained sweetness to its flavors of raspberry, spices and earth. This very suave, long wine finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely perfumed lift. Seems more firmly structured than the 2012 version but remains light on its feet.د.إ975.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The 2019 Burnside Vineyard Chardonnay is flinty, spicy and lean, with curry leaf, a hint of Champion Ruby (rolling tobacco in Australia—think Golden Virginia) and a bit of saltbush (local flora). It is very smart. The cooler year is moderated by the close proximity to the beach here—it is briny and so good. I could drink a lot of this. It has a beautiful clean finish. Excellent.د.إ589.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (94)
Sourced from the proprietary Lopresti vineyard, known as the 'Chinese Block'. Near Wilunga, this is a warmer zone. Hand picked and placed in drying crates to undergo appassimento; this elevates tannins while concentrating fruit in a shift of the phenolic makeup, imparting a firm, ferrous savouriness. Unabashedly big, yet far from jammy, as a welcome result. Asian spice, blood stone, bitter amaro and cherry pith, with a verdant echo of cabernet in the background.د.إ1,055.00 -
د.إ1,235.00
