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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Wine Advocate (92)
Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020, which has a complex array of sweet/savory/spice characters. The detail here errs to blackberry, blood plum and resin—a spicy, full-bodied Shiraz. Not for the faint of heart.د.إ1,030.00 -
د.إ1,270.00 -
Wine Spectator (92)
Compelling and aromatic, with details of palo santo, sandalwood and sarsaparilla and a core of chocolate-covered cherries, espresso and wild blackberry notes. The tannins are thick and concentrated, but integrated seamlessly, adding to the impact of this lovely wine. Drink now through 2036. 6,132 cases made, 3,892 cases imported.د.إ1,220.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
Mollydooker's 2018 Carnival of Love Shiraz is more red-fruited and structured than I expected, given the wine's stated 16% alcohol. Raspberries and cedar mark the nose, with hints of chocolate, espresso and baking spices. In the mouth, it's full-bodied, dense and powerful, with ripe but firm tannins supporting the bright berry flavors, then easing into a long, velvety and mouthwatering finish. It should drink well for around a decade, but if you're shy of tannins, you may want to wait another year or two before opening.د.إ1,605.00 -
د.إ1,495.00 -
Wine Spectator (92)
Thick, with sink-your-teeth-into-them tannins and powerful, ripe blackberry, huckleberry and blueberry flavors that show aromatic accents of allspice, Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, milk chocolate and dried violet on the finish. Drink now through 2036. 45,165 cases made, 32,950 cases importedد.إ2,445.00 -
Wine Spectator (91)
Expressive and fragrant, a bold red with toffee, salted caramel and black walnut liqueur notes set against ripe plum, maraschino and black cherry notes. Details of cardamon and clove linger with plush tannins on the long, expressive finish. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035. 10,076 cases made, 7,193 cases imported.د.إ1,575.00 -
The West Australian (97)
The 2017 vintage was one of the milder vintages in WA. The latest Moss Wood captures this vintage perfectly and is without doubt one of the more restrained and tightly framed Moss Woods of recent years. Not the opulence of 2014 or the firm power of the 2016. Yet it retains the elegance, perfume and soft approachability that is Moss Wood. And hidden within is a wine that I suspect will still be drinking beautifully in 30 years. Make sure you decant it even now before drinking.د.إ2,300.00 -
د.إ1,600.00 -
The Western Australian (98)
High expectations accompany iconic labels such as Moss Wood, especially following on from the powerful 2020. This elegantly styled 21 vintage steps up and delivers, even in its youth. This is a wine built for cellaring and, as such, it was day two when the full gamut of flavours and textures opened up, in all their magisterial glory. Think boysenberry, blueberry essence and blackberries with nuances of nori, black olive, cedar and oak toast. There’s boundless flavour intensity and a nervy freshness and silkiness to the mouthfeel. Quite the feat of engineering to craft something so substantial yet with such lightness of touch. Stunning.د.إ1,440.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (97)
100% destemmed and fermented with as many whole berries as possible. Left to soak for four days, pre-fermentation with one pump over per day, then plunged three times per day. 15 months in French barriques (25% new). A bright crimson red. Perfumed and seductive even at this early stage. Aromas of wild red berries, gentle spice, dark rose and bracken. Concentrated and structured with very fine, sinewy and savoury tannins. A brilliant, non-mainstream Yarra Valley pinot that's been built to go the distance.د.إ2,015.00 -
(6x75cl) 2017Wine Advocate (97+)
I saw this wine blind recently (in a largely international tasting) and could not place the variety or region. I can see why here today: the fruit in the 2017 Quintet is almost unbelievably red fruited. It is buoyant and supple and speaks eloquently of raspberry seed, black cherry, red apple skins, blond tobacco, hints of sweet roasted meats (distant wafts only), enoki mushroom and red miso; the experience is inchoate and thrilling in equal measure. In isolation, perhaps, it may be easy to assume that the wine, given its age versus purity quotient, is simple. But given what we know about the capacity for aging carried by this vineyard/cuvée, I'd say you were grievously mistaken to judge it in that manner. This is a sleeper wine and one that hasn't even started to show us what it is capable of. It's a superstar. 13% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.د.إ1,965.00 -
Halliday Wine Companion (99)
Stands proudly at the head of the Mount Mary portfolio. A blend of 44% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 5% each of malbec and petit verdot, each variety handled according to its structure. Open/static fermenters, wood/stainless steel, 10-14 days on skins, 35% new oak from a range of coopers and forests, 16-20 months in barrel. Mesmerisingly silky, with a kaleidoscope of fruit and secondary flavours.د.إ2,110.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022Halliday Wine Companion (97)
Whole bunches (30%), matured in French barriques (20% new). A deep, bright crimson. Aromas of blackcurrant pastilles, damson plums, aromatic brown spices, a little garrigue (from the whole bunches) and graphite. This rich, energetic, medium-bodied and structured wine is still a pup. You'll find silky and persistent tannins on the long finish of this excellent Geelong syrah, but it'll need another two to three years to fully hit its straps. Should still be looking great eight to 10 years from now, too.د.إ905.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022Halliday Wine Companion (96)
Barrel fermented with full solids, no mlf, matured in 25% new French barriques and puncheons. A bright green gold. Opens with aromas of white nectarine and peach, lemon verbena and grapefruit pith before revealing attractive savoury, nutty notes. There's real drive and persistence on the palate, too, which culminates in a long, mineral and chalky finish. Excellent.د.إ766.00 -
(6x75cl) NVThe Real Review (95)
Made from 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay aged on the lees for three years. Crisp, flavoursome méthode with a strong yeasty, baguette crust flavour together with toast, hazelnut and citrus characters. A beautifully poised wine with an ethereal texture and lingering finishد.إ674.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2023 Chardonnay Home Block Moutere is 100% Mendoza clone. The wine soaks up its oak like a sponge. It is richly fruited and concentrated with excellent density. This is a wine of substance and sinew. Its combination of phenolics and acidity provides satisfying tension and texture that makes the wine persist and adds drag.د.إ1,620.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2016 Eclipse is 87% Grenache, 8% Graciano and 5% Shiraz, all off the McLaren Vale estate vineyard. As it almost seems to, it boasts gorgeous aromas of raspberries, accented by a range of herbs and spices that include notes of orange zest, bay leaf and rose petals. It's full-bodied, with assertive but silky tannins that should help preserve the wine's freshness as it ages. Although full-bodied, it handles its alcohol well, showing just a trace of warmth on the lingering finish.د.إ985.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Even more concentrated than the impressive 2014, the 2015 Shiraz Reserve is almost painfully intense—in a good sense. Dark berries, culinary herbs and roasted meat notes combine in a mouthwatering nose, which leads into a dense, creamy-textured palate. While most Noon wines can be drunk on release (as can this one, albeit in a soft-core S&M sort of way), I would suggest holding this one for a couple of years and drinking it over the next decade.د.إ1,175.00 -
James Suckling (94)
Lots of flint and stone aromas with lemons and green apples. Medium-bodied with a tight and linear palate and a long, flavorful finish. Very intense. Drink now. Screw cap.د.إ859.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
In vintages with ample botrytis, an Encore Riesling is produced. I'd put the 2016 Encore Riesling up against many German beerenauslesen. It's wonderfully sweet and rich (210 grams per liter residual sugar), with pristine apricot and marmalade notes balanced by bright acids. If you want to quibble, it might be too clean and precise, but the balance is superb and the finish lasts into next week. Wow!د.إ589.00 -
James Suckling (97)
A perfumed nose of cherries, raspberries, dark chocolate, earth, orange rind, violets and sweet spices. Full body with lively acidity. Rather chewy tannins. Bright and crunchy with a fleshy texture. Balanced and layered with a long, precise finish. Better after 2023. Screw capد.إ1,440.00 -
James Suckling (96)
Lots of ripe strawberries with some citrus and cream. Some meat, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with round, ripe tannins and a delicious, juicy finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.د.إ1,350.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
A new addition to the Penfolds lineup, the 2016 Bin 111A Shiraz is a blend of Clare (51%) and Barossa (49%) fruit from vineyards that have previously contributed to Grange. Aged in 100% new French oak, it's a rich, luxuriously textured wine that's packed with ripe fruit and finely textured tannins. Hints of grilled meat and exotic dried spices accent red raspberries and redcurrants in this full-bodied but exceptionally silky and elegant red that meets the high expectations for such a pricey bottling.د.إ3,325.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
A new addition to the Penfolds lineup, the 2016 Bin 111A Shiraz is a blend of Clare (51%) and Barossa (49%) fruit from vineyards that have previously contributed to Grange. Aged in 100% new French oak, it's a rich, luxuriously textured wine that's packed with ripe fruit and finely textured tannins. Hints of grilled meat and exotic dried spices accent red raspberries and redcurrants in this full-bodied but exceptionally silky and elegant red that meets the high expectations for such a pricey bottling.د.إ8,435.00 -
James Suckling (96)
A bold, tarry and rich expression with a deeply embedded, dark-plum and blackberry core of aromas that are framed in very nicely fitted oak. There’s a 50/50 split of American and French and both are equally split between 50% new and 50% one-year-old. There’s a move to puncheons here, too. The palate is breathtakingly deep and supple with such impressive, soft, plush ripe blackberries. Long, powerful and immaculately captured tannins. Bold and beautiful. Will age for two decades easily. Drink or hold. Screw cap.د.إ1,030.00 -
James Suckling (98)
The regional stamp is embedded deeply here. Redcurrant, blackcurrant, mint and leafy aromas with a core of very fine, lithe tannins that really chisel the palate into shape. The florals are here in red and violet shades, together with purple-olive tapenade, sweeter red berries and an almost raspberry-like core. The palate is bright, long and powerful with an elegant core of fine, assertive tannins in play. The warm wave of spicy oak into the finish is delivered with class and finesse. Long and regal. This is superb cabernet sauvignon and the shining star of this year's collection. Drink from 2022 and for two decades at least.د.إ5,175.00 -
The Real Review (98)
Very deep, dark, youthful purple/red colour, impressive in the glass. The bouquet is reserved and understated, with more earthy, savoury aromas coming first followed by cassisy cabernet-like nuances, the palate more elegant than expected with lovely purity of concentrated blackberry, blackcurrant cabernet fruit skilfully welded to neatly integrated oak characters. A cracking wine, concentrated but in no way heavy or overwrought. Indeed, it has real elegance. A delicious wine, and there's much more to come for those who are patient.د.إ3,385.00 -
د.إ638.00 -
Vinous (94)
Saturated ruby. Displays an array of spice-accented black and blue fruit and floral scents, along with suggestions of coconut, pipe tobacco and woodsmoke. Broad and fleshy on entry, offering appealingly sweet cherry liqueur, cassis, bitter chocolate and exotic spice flavors that firm up steadily through the back half. Shows fine definition and spicy cut on a long, smoke- and floral- driven finish.د.إ1,165.00
