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Set includes 2 x 2016 Cos d'Estournel and 1 x 2016 Pagodes de Cos in a special 10th anniversary OWC

There are very few dry white wines in Bordeaux with the pedigree—or sheer individuality—of Y d’Yquem. Produced from the same extraordinary vineyard as Château d’Yquem, it turns the estate’s traditional formula on its head, with Sauvignon Blanc leading Sémillon and the fruit harvested earlier to capture freshness, energy, and precision. That makes 2024 an especially intriguing vintage for Y. In a challenging year overall, Bordeaux’s dry whites were a clear highlight, with the cooler conditions preserving vivid aromatics, bright acidity, and impressive tension. The 2024 Y captures that beautifully, combining freshness and focus with the depth and texture that make this wine unmistakably Yquem. Production is minuscule—fewer than 2,000 cases for the entire world—making this one of Bordeaux’s rarest and most distinctive dry whites.

From own-rooted vines planted in 1999, the 2024 Chardonnay is highly textural, coming from the higher reaches of a historic site in deep granite soils, a blend of two distinct blocks. Made with native fermentation without racking, fining, or filtration and aged in 40% new oak over 17 months, it’s a generous, medium-bodied phenolic white that speaks to a purity of orchard fruit, gravelly stone, and wildflowers, integrated in oak and acidity. This beautiful, layered wine will age over many years. Hold and drink 2028-2038.

A complete sauvignon blanc with sliced pear, apple and lemon aromas and flavors with a full body and a polished texture that is caressing and beautiful. It is crunchy and a bit richer than many Pavillon Blancs.

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is one of my favorite wines of the year. It gets as close to Brunello perfection as vinously possible. Fruit is sourced exclusively from the estate's oldest vines in the Vigna Vecchia Mercatale vineyard, the oldest Canalicchio cru. The vines were planted in 1987-1988. They are in their prime production years right now. This is first time the Riserva is made exclusively from that site. The depth of this wine is extraordinary. The wine starts with a playful offering of red fruit and cherry. Like many of the wines from this vintage, the bouquet takes a while to arrive at full intensity. That margin should shorten as the wine continues its cellar aging and evolution. Yet, the slow start to the bouquet is ultimately what drives your interest in this wine. The mouthfeel is exceptional with tannins that are both silky and firm at the same time. (ML)

The 2025 Lafleur was picked early, from August 26 to 28 and from September 10 to 12 for the Cabernet Franc. Of course, this is the first year when the wine is classified as Vin de France after water was added to the soil, contravening Pomerol's AC rules. Discussing at length with Baptiste Guinaudeau, whilst I can see that it would essentially resuscitate the parched vine, the amounts are too little to affect the wine when considering the actual rainfall figures. For sure, it has a bashful bouquet at first and demands time to really open in the glass, 10 to 15 minutes. Only then does it reveal enticing scents of blackcurrant, bilberry, crushed stone and iris flower, all beautifully defined and very succinct—quintessential Lafleur. The palate is medium-bodied and framed by chiselled tannins that lend this Pomerol beguiling symmetry. What really marks this Lafleur is its tremendous persistence on the finish. It just goes on and on. This is a great Lafleur, irrespective of what it took to get there. (NM)

From the estate's 16-acre vineyard, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate offers blue fruits, lavender, minty herbs, California bay, and tobacco and cedar pencil notes that all shine beautifully from the glass. It's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with ripe yet building tannins, ample mid-palate depth, and a blockbuster of a finish. This is riveting stuff that will evolve for 30 years or more. Give it a few years if you can. Drink 2030-2055.

A blend of 70% Fay and 30% S.L.V., the 2023 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon exceeds both of the individual bottlings. Yes, it's a selection of the top barrels, but the two also complement each other nicely: the elegance and finesse of Fay and the power and tannin of S.L.V. Christmas spice-like nuances add to the complexity of violets, sage and thyme, plus black cherries and earth. Most of all, what stands out in this medium- to full-bodied wine is the way it manages to be rich and expansive without being heavy, its seductive texture of fine suede and its long, refreshing finish.

Power, freshness, depth, after the extremes of 2021 and 2022, this walks the line between the two, exceptional, mandarin, quince, mirabelle plums, white truffle, fresh fruit and confit fruit, a vibration of slate and steel, opulent but slices closed on the finish. The botrytis came early and quickly in 2023. Francis Mayeur in final vintage as consultant, after many years as inhouse winemaking team, Lorenzo Pasquini director. 154g/l residual sugar, 3.85ph, harvest September 14 to October 11.

The 2025 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has a really lovely Sémillon-driven bouquet (64.5% of the blend), beautifully defined with touches of apple blossom, white flowers and pear drop. The palate is very well balanced, with fine acidity, taut and fresh, a little more weight than the Haut-Brion Blanc thanks to the Sémillon, with a touch of ginger and chamomile towards the finish. This is a great La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, perchance the best dry white Bordeaux in 2025. (NM)

A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the 2023 Ausone has a pH of 3.63 and a deep garnet-purple color. It is very mute and reticent to show its personality to start, needing a lot of shaking and pleading to coax out a series of intense scents: fresh blackberries, violets, licorice, pencil shavings, and tar, leading to an undercurrent of Sichuan pepper and fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate has wonderful tension and is incredibly taut and tight-knit, offering glimpses at layers of mineral and floral accented fresh blackberry flavors. It is textured by incredibly ripe, fine-grained tannins, delivering a very long finish, laced with mineral sparkles.(LPB)

This is the darker expression of WRAITH, and I tend to prefer it in 2022. The wine is profoundly soulful and deeply penetrating. It’s boldly rich red and black fruits, warming spices, and sinewy tannins unfold in mesmerising precision, flooding the palate with the most succulent, umami, and lush textures. The WRAITH Holy Quest is a barrel selection that embodies Jayson Woodbridge’s personal journey to fuse his life with wine as ‘a bodyguard, a protector—like body armour—shielding you from the buffeting forces of life.’ During my tasting with him in 2024, he offered this detailed explanation of Holy Quest: ‘[This is] a small, rare portion of WRAITH, [which is a wine] based on the legend of the Knights Templar. On Friday the 13th, the Templars were betrayed and extinguished by the corrupt French King and Pope. These knights, protectors of the realm, wore the Armour of Light. Still, as they prepared to create immortals, they forged the Armour of Night—allowing them to become vaporous at night, solid during the day, and safe only within the sanctity of Templar churches. The WRAITH label speaks to this secret, explaining how only two Templars can pass through the hidden seal—read the label closely.’ (JC)

Just 4.8 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon are planted on this 18.21-hectare estate, situated on the steep, southeast-facing slopes of Glass Mountain in St. Helena. Purchased in 1999, the property is also home to Jayson Woodbridge’s striking underground Ring winery and caves. I awarded the 2021 vintage a perfect 100 points, and this 2022 Ark continues that legacy—it’s the most polished of Woodbridge’s single-vineyard Hundred Acre wines from the vintage. If Morgan’s Way is supreme elegance and Few and Far Between is deep, brooding, and muscular, then Ark sits perfectly in between—balanced and impressively saturated. The palate bursts with red-berry fruit, beautifully scented with brown baking spices, black tea, walnut, and a striking ironstone minerality.

Another riveting wine, the 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon has a Château Latour-like stature and regalness, with full-bodied richness and incredible concentration, as well as structure, on the palate. Cassis, blueberry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and graphite notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible power and opulence, yet stays pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is as brilliant as Cabernet gets, and Carpenter is clearly playing with the best in the business. (JD)

A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Ausone unwinds in the glass with notes of sweet raspberries and mulberries mingled with notions of mint, rose petals and blood orange. Medium- to full-bodied, lively and perfumed, with lovely energy, exquisitely refined tannins and a bright, precise finish, it shows extraordinary potential. Some discreet changes are underway at this address, with picking (between September 2 and 23) broken up plot by plot to a greater degree; a review of the estate's cooperage choices in pursuit of better integration; and, at least this year, no second wine for the first time since 1994—given the quality of Ausone's terroir and vine material, that seems entirely reasonable. The result is one of the most refined, classy Ausone vintages in recent years, and it will be exciting to follow these evolutions over the years to come. (WK)

This excellent wine is slated to be released in January 2025. The Poggio di Sotto 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows a point of brilliant fruit over a medium-plus texture. The wine exhibits dusty tannins from the galestro-rich schistic soils that have a huge impact on the elegance and complexity of this exceptional and cellar-worthy Sangiovese. The palate salivates when you taste this wine. The bouquet is refined and bright with floral tones, red fruit and pencil shaving. Everything is in perfect form and balance. The 2019 vintage has the power and muscle for a long bottle evolution. (ML)

Displaying a youthful ruby red hue, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino is pure and focused on the nose, with cranberries, Bing cherries, fresh roses, blood orange, and stony earth. The palate is medium-bodied and compact, with well-defined tannins, brisk acidity, and a long finish framed by salty accents. It’s a standout wine that will require patience, yet it has all the structure to drink at its best over the next two to three decades. Bottled in May 2025. Drink 2026-2057. (AF)

Super aromas of nutmeg, cloves and dried flowers with plums and blackberries. Subtle yet so complex. Full-bodied, tight and integrated with ultra-fine tannins and a beautiful finish. Lasts for minutes. Very, very Cos. Harmony. Texturally marvelous.

The 2014 Único is the second wine in a row from a cooler, so-called Atlantic year, although the harvest was considerably less wet than 2013. Sourced from the best 40 hectares on the Vega Sicilia estate, covering a total of 30 parcels, this is a stunningly floral, complete, layered Tinto Fino with lily, wild rose and mountain herb aromas, subtle French and 25% American oak, some added backbone from 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a palate of bramble, black cherry, Asian spices and tobacco embellished and freshened by a bright, chalky finish.

Marvelously complex, deeply fruited and massively concentrated yet wonderfully drinkable, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin challenges the number of superlatives that can be thrown at it. Scents of violets, tree bark, truffle, purple raspberries and blackberries all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, dense and velvety, and the finish shows enormous richness and length. Breathtaking stuff. (JC)

More forward and approachable than the 2013, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is nevertheless a massive wine that has more depth and concentration than just about every other wine in the vintage. A classic blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, and the rest Counoise and Syrah that was brought up in foudre, this full-bodied, forward, sexy effort has thrilling notes of black and blue fruits, beef blood, licorice, ground pepper, and bouquet garni. While a relatively accessible, charming vintage (by this cuvees standards anyway), it still needs 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to evolve beautifully on its balance, complexity, and length. It’s an awesome 2014.

The 2016 Barolo Brunate is a powerful, vertical wine endowed with tremendous explosive energy and intensity. Crushed flowers, mint, spice and dried flowers open up in the glass, but it is the wine's energy that really elevates it into the stratosphere. In the glass, the 2016 is dark, somber and full of the sepia-toned nuances that are such signatures of this great Barolo vineyard. This is the first vintage that includes Vietti's newest parcel in Brunate. Perhaps more importantly, though, the 2016 is the first vintage in which French oak is minimal. This is a stunning vintage for the Brunate. (AG)

A vibrant serious wine from an upland vineyard well-structured in tannins and bursting with ripe berry violet and iron flavors. Aromas of dark cherries fir forest wet stones and bay leaves as well. Tannins are firm and fine-grained adding a little grip to the texture and accentuating the wine’s freshness and linearity. Drinkable now and best from 2030.

This is very tight grained and beautifully balanced with violets, crushed stones and a brambleberry character. Extremely aromatic and perfumed. Medium to full body with a compressed mouthfeel of wonderfully fine and fresh tannins. A fantastic Merlot-based red for the vintage. Structured yet so balanced.

Sourced entirely from the estate-owned W.S. Keyes Vineyard at 556 metres elevation, the 2023 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold yet strikingly composed wine. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes that Howell Mountain is the coldest of Napa’s mountain AVAs, where tannins are typically broad in shape and structure. Texturally, this is a compelling experience on the palate, with palate-etching tannins that carry a fine, pebbly, dusty granularity, framed by blue- and black-fruited depth and an ironstone mineral core. The fruit and structure build steadily towards a sanguine, subtly saline finish, layered again and again with mineral intensity. Fresh bay laurel and mint lift the long, persistent finish, which easily stretches to a full minute.

Since 1995, Lokoya has produced Cabernet Sauvignon from its Veeder Peak Estate, perched at 548 metres along the rugged western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains. In 2023, the wine is a true shape-shifter. Effusive floral aromatics and generous red fruit initially suggest grace and delicacy. Yet beneath the surface lies formidable power. Soaring, iron-laced tannins build gradually before gripping the palate from every angle, multidimensional and intense, clearly benefiting from a proper decant. There's a Hugh Jackman quality about this, rugged and powerful, like the actor, yet graceful and lifted like Jackman's voice, delivering gravitas, yet able to hit all the high notes in the song, starting with heady, high-toned dark black fruit, ironstone minerality, and baritone tobacco nuances. The tannins are positively powerful, chewy and grippy, and the wine is deeply concentrated, full-bodied, yet somehow fresh, elevated, and energised.

The Lokoya Winery Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from two estate-owned vineyards: the 10 hectare Yverdon Vineyard, perched at 640 metres, and the 18 hectare Wurtele Vineyard, situated at around 304 metres. Both sites are planted on ancient, ocean-bottom sedimentary soils, which impart a distinctive mineral signature to the wine. Readers familiar with this wine know it is typically profoundly layered and expressive. In 2023, the wine is so fresh, so enticing, and simply seamless, with Chris Carpenter's characteristic off-the-charts intensity. Layers of blue-black fruit unfold alongside lavish notes of tobacco and dark, salted chocolate, with accents of sagebrush, mint, and bay laurel. Despite the extraordinary concentration, the wine feels remarkably fresh, driven by energy rather than weight. Ultra-fine, elongated, polished tannins carry an ironstone and graphite intensity that gives the wine remarkable dimension.

Based on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 80% new oak, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain tastes like the blood of Cabernet with its deep red and black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and violets, as well as an underlying spice and meatiness that give it incredible complexity. It's full-bodied, rich, opulent, and powerful on the palate, with flawless overall balance, incredible purity, and a monster of a finish. There are 867 cases produced. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will drink beautifully over the following four decades. Drink 2029-2069.

The subtle and nuanced aromas to this are so enticing with perfumed, floral, blackcurrant and blackberry character. Roses, too. Some lavender. Full-bodied yet so refined and polished with the most transparent and polished texture. Firm and seamless. So beautiful now.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2007 Screaming Eagle opens with a dazzlingly beautiful fragrance of red roses, violets and lavender over a core of red currant jelly, kirsch, cassis and black raspberry layers plus blueberry preserves and stewed tea accents and a waft of cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, the tannins are firm yet wonderfully plush with a great intensity of perfumed red and blue fruits that are at once intense and ethereal, finishing on a lingering mineral note. This 2007 truly shows the personality of Screaming Eagle at its best. It is approachable now, still possessing plenty of primary fruit with those tertiary layers beginning to unfurl and therefore it cannot fail to impress even at this youthful stage. (LPB)

A very special vintage for this wine, the 2013 Champagne Salon pours a pale yellow/green-tinged color and has a very pretty nose revealing round, pure notes of citrus blossom, a hint of almond pastry, fresh lemon meringue, and pure pear. But while the nose is expressive, the palate is still coiled and intense, with a pure, driving, chalky texture, power, and length, as well as a great deal of electricity that carries through the palate, with a pinpoint, focused mousse. This is going to be a great wine for collectors and for aging over the coming decades. This wine is singing. Comparing it with the Salon 82 and Salon 83 will be one of the great arguments over the years. 5 grams per liter dosage. (AF)

This is a mesmerizing wine with flowers such as violets and roses. Leather undertones with bright red fruits. Peaches and some lemongrass, too. It seems to change all the time in the glass. Full-bodied, tight and complete with ultra-fine, powerful tannins that are just seamless and beautiful. The richness of flavors is incredible. Yet, subtle and reserved. Endless pleasure. Will age forever. Upgraded from two years ago. Better in 2022

Black olives, blackberries, crushed stones and bark on the nose. Medium-bodied with solid tannins that are polished and lightly chewy and a long finish. The dark fruit and mushrooms come through clearly at the end. Transparent, Available in March 2026. Drink after three or four years. (JS)

The 2022 La Casuccia is a wine of mind-blowing elegance and finesse. Silky tannins, floral aromatics and bright, red-toned fruit make a strong first impression. Delicate and nuanced, with gorgeous mid-weight structure, the 2022 dazzles from the very first taste. The 2022 is quite possibly the most polished edition of the La Casuccia I have tasted. What a wine! (AG)

Pouring a deep purple hue, Bellavista shines from start to finish. From the black cherry and raspberry to dusty earth and truffle, with mocha and vanilla wafting demurely, aromas continue giving. On the floral-strewn palate, sumptuous and succulent dark fruit makes way for graphite-like crunchy minerals. The tannins are velvety smooth, and this is so perfectly sculpted, beautifully poised and elegantly weighted. As rich as it is weightless, it is also piercingly pristine and gracious in its sophistication. Hard to resist now but it promises to reveal more of its profundities with time. Given the recent changes to the Gran Selezione regulations, this iconic bottling will see a reproportioning of Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera. For this vintage though, its time-honoured 80/20 ratio remains unaltered. (MM)

Product details coming soon.

Product details coming soon.

Probably the most austere among the three Adrianna Vineyard malbecs. Arresting nose already, with a touch of white pepper to the deep black and blue fruit. Huge depth and profoundness, but at the same time it is so fresh. The difference is more obvious on the palate if you compare this with the Mundus Bacillus Terrae and Fortuna Terrae bottlings. This shows the claws of the mineral tannins, which are a little less fleshy than Mundus, but with more tension. Seamless, taut and long. Drink from 2026. (ZS)

So pretty, layered, elegant and sophisticated, showing distinctive, delicious dark fruit with spices and savory notes. Aromas and flavors move from rose petals, violets, red and black cherries, blackcurrants and orange peel to herbs and nutmeg. Well-balanced with a lacy texture of firm, fine-grained tannins that are smooth and silky. Drinkable now and best from 2030.

Gorgeous, structured, balanced and layered, this is a complex, deep and elegant wine that offers wonderful fruit, detailed spices, toast, minerals and savory accents. Black-cherry, blueberry, graphite and tobacco-leaf aromas and flavors. It’s difficult to think of a more complete, harmonious and fascinating cabernet sauvignon from California. Drinkable now and best from 2035.

Creamy but reserved raspberry and blackberry fruit studded through with sea spray, liqourice root, anis, fennel, bitter orange peel, cocoa bean, beautiful tension and clarity of expression. Brilliant. Marco Balsimelli Technical Director and winemaker, Marchesi Frescobaldi owners.

It's been a while, alas. The last vintage of this legendary wine was 2015. Skipping forward to a year of natural richness and concentration, the Giacomo Conterno 2019 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a magnificently executed wine. It carefully reins in the soaring power of Nebbiolo and whittles it down to extreme finesse and precision. This is the essence of the grape with no extra bells or whistles. (ML)

Product details coming soon.

Stunning in its density and construction, with a gorgeous balance that starts with red rose aromatics and slides into creamy and intense raspberry, damson, loganberry and cassis fruits. The intense structure of the vintage is on display, here with velvety tannins giving shape and contrast by a push and pull of slate, graphite, cloves, turmeric, cardamom and white pepper. Bitter dark chocolate ending, a character of the year but here delivered with a blast of cooling mint leaf. Philippe Bascaules director, harvest September 8 to 27, 25hl/h yield. 100% new oak, to be monitored carefully over ageing because this is the first time they have seen this level of alcohol in the Cabernet Sauvignon. 40% of the crop is into this 1st wine, one of the highest in years. Harvest September 8 to 27. They are slowly changing the row orientation in the vineyard at Margaux, begun last year but a 50 year project, and introducing more Cabernet Franc through field grafting (wanting to get up to maybe 15% of plantings, currently 5%).

This has a polished and complex nose of poached plums, dark cherries, tea leaves, graphite, milk chocolate and a touch of caramel. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm yet creamy tannins. Caressing, seductive and ripe, but with underlying freshness. 97% tempranillo and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. The normal bottle will be released 2023 and the magnum in 2025. Try after 2023.

The Biondi-Santi 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a stunning wine from all points of view. Seamless integration and elegant complexity are what stand out, and it's worth dedicating a few extra lines to the aromatic depth that is put so beautifully on display as the wine slowly unfolds. The bouquet starts off with wild cherry, earth, wet ash, crème de cassis and pruny chocolate. With extra time, there are hints of dried tobacco leaf, sandalwood and mossy forest floor. These lead to a fine tail of dried herb, bay leaf and a touch of rusty nail. The Riserva comes in numbered bottles, and I opened number 04277. To the palate, the wine is streamlined and silky with smooth tannins and a well-managed 13.5% alcohol content. The oak presence is reduced to a minimum, offering mild hints of spice and the delicate sandalwood or dried fig aroma I described above. Fresh acidity is the glue that gives the wine buoyancy and staying power. At this young stage, this 2013 vintage could be considered a bit shy or slow to start, but this will play out to great advantage in the long term as the wine continues its bottle evolution. (ML)

We served the just-released 2015 as a last-minute surprise. It was the perfect conclusion to this dinner, as it really brought all the themes of the evening back to the present. Young and quite vibrant, the 2015 has a long life ahead of it. Like so many of today’s best Barolos, it can be enjoyed far younger than was once the norm. (AG)

Very ripe with plum, spice and dried-flower aromas, as well as chocolate, fresh flowers and sandalwood. Coffee and hints of meat. Sort of decadent. Full-bodied with round, creamy tannins and an intense, juicy feel. Unique cedar and walnut undertones. So delicious now, but one for the future, too. (JS)