These wines have been selected from blind tastings, mainly in Bordeaux but also elsewhere, when the opportunity arises. The larger part of my business is supplying restaurants who require wine that they can serve today. These days restaurants rarely hold cellars of wine maturing for the future, with their listings very much focused on wines that please now. Hence the first priority in my purchases is that wines taste good. This may be a statement of the obvious but unlike most importers I do not start with the vintage and the Chateau, I do it the other way around and start with taste, and the vintage and Chateau are only relevant to me if the wine first tastes good. I taste blind because I defy anyone to not be influenced by the Chateau, appellation, vintage, reputation etc.
Good colour, rich and meaty with some dark chocolate on the nose. On the palate it is rich, fresh, showing some maturing characters of plums and charcuteire. Not particular complex but it is sound and good.
"This is a quality and very good value Cr Bourgeois. Rich toasty / meaty fruit-oak aromas reflect the high percentage of merlot, while the palate holds deep red and black fruits. Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald
"We liked this wine very much. A very open nose of very ripe fruit, attractive on the palate with particularly round and harmonious tannins and a good, clean finish." Le Revue de Vin de France
A bouquet of bright fresh red fruits and some Pomerol plums. A mid weight wine of rich plums and some mixed spices, nicely balanced and pleasing. Great value Pomerol.
"A Robert Parker 'monitor closely' estate and its easy to see why - with its intense flavour of ripe plums, mulberries and blueberries with a background of savoury herbs and cedarwood. The palate is mid-weight and fine with good density and intensity." Peter Bourne TheWineMan
"Good colour. Ripe and ample on the nose. Very good fruit here. Fullish body, quite substantial with good tannins. This has grip too. The best Caronne Ste Gemme ever." Clive Coates MW
"Medium-bodied with velvety tannins and a luscious finish." Wine Spectator Magazine 2000 Chateau Moulinet was served at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Dinner
"Extremely well made, with violet, berry, currant and vanilla aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit and ultrafine tannins." Wine Spectator magazine
"Very fresh and aromatic, with liquorice, violet and light vanilla character. Full-bodied, with a super core of fruit and fantastically silky tannins." Wine Spectator magazine
2004 Domaine de Chevalier comfortably beat more expensive local rivals La Mission Haut Brion and Pape Clement and even outscored Le Pin. The owner Olivier Bernard considers the 2004 to be his best vintage ever to date. London trade tasting 2008
"The dense ruby/purple coloured Grand Mayne shows the telltale blueberry/blackberry fruit intermixed with some creamy vanilla and new oak, a sweet entry on the palate, medium to full body, moderate tannin, and good vibrancy and delineation." Robert Parker
