We have quite the lineup of legendary wines for you today! Starting to the rarely seen white wines of Cheval Blanc (St-Émilion) and Palmer (Margaux), we'll also be showcasing the epically delicious Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon blends of Pape-Clément and d'Yquem. On the red front, we have the very elusive Pétrus, back vintages of Ausone and Margaux and a couple of Rothschild amongst others.
A keen observer will notice that the prices on these rare beauties is pretty sharp - we did so to make it a little less prohibitive to get your hands on these absolute stunners. All of these bottlings have impeccable provenance and subject to our usual guarantees. If you have any questions about the wines in this offer, please contact our resident Bordeaux expert Phil Stanton on phil@thewineemporium.com.au. Happy browsing!
2016 Cheval Blanc Le Petit Cheval White - $325 per bottle ; $399 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"Pow! The 100% Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Le Petit Cheval Blanc explodes from the glass, delivering a tantalizing perfume of ripe peaches, mango and fresh pineapple with hints of lime blossoms, lemongrass, fresh ginger and spearmint plus a waft of cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with tropical and stone fruit flavors complemented by a compelling textural component and a racy line of acid, finishing very long and very delicious." - 94+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
2016 Château Pape-Clément Blanc - $469 per bottle ; $579 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"The Pape Clement 2016 Blanc is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 36% Sémillon, 9% Sauvignon Gris and 5% Muscadelle. It leaps from the glass with gregarious scents of ripe peaches, fresh grapefruit and key lime pie plus touches of cedar, honeysuckle and toast. Medium-bodied, the palate offers fantastic precision and depth, with layers of citrus and stone fruit flavors supported by a racy line of freshness, finishing very long." - 95+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
2016 Château Palmer Le Vin Blanc de Palmer (White) - $489 per bottle ; $599 RRP (SOLD OUT)
This rare wine, termed a "unicorn" by wine critic Neal Martin, does indeed originate from the famed Château Palmer of Margaux and is a blend of Muscadelle, Loset and Sauvignon Gris. Very few cases are made, and even fewer bottles make it to Australia!
1989 Château d'Yquem 375mL - $640 per half-bottle ; $730 RRP
"Notable for being a very hot Bordeaux vintage, 1989 is also the year that the vines were hit by a violent hailstorm in July, which damaged the western half of the vineyard. Since the berries were still quite small and hard at that stage, the impact was minimized to about 20% crop loss overall. Thereafter, the vines soldiered on to produce a stunningly concentrated crop this year.
Medium to deep gold colored, the 1989 d'Yquem is little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to give gorgeous dried mango, pineapple paste and candied peel scents with hints of praline, nutmeg, lemon butter and crème caramel plus a waft of crushed stones. The palate delivers powerful, wonderfully concentrated notes of dried stone fruits with provocative nutty nuances and a seamless acid backbone, packaged within a satiny texture and finishing on a lingering lemon tea and minerals note." - 97 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, August 2019
2010 Le Petit Cheval Blanc - $765 per bottle ; $899 RRP
"Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Le Petit Cheval sashays out of the glass with expressive notes of warm black cherries, boysenberries and preserved plums plus wafts of mocha and cigar box. Full-bodied, the palate has firm, ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the generous baked berries and earthy layers, finishing long and perfumed." - 93 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
2009 Le Petit Cheval Blanc - $795 per bottle ; $950 RRP
"The 2009 Le Petit Cheval is the best second wine I have ever tasted from this estate. Composed of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Franc, it is better than most vintages of the grand vin from the sixties and seventies. Notes of chocolate, black cherries, herbs, and spice emerge from this full-bodied, thick, juicy wine." - 93 Points, The Wine Advocate
2005 Château Palmer - $1100 per bottle ; $1250 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"The 2005 Palmer has been absolutely magical both times I have tasted it recently. Still wonderfully deep to the core, the 2005 is dense, packed to the core and luxuriously opulent. Even with all of that intensity, the 2005 remains vibrant. Lush red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and sweet spice build into the towering finish. The 2005 is an epic wine that will have no problem reaching its fiftieth birthday. It is a rich, dramatic Margaux that checks all the boxes, and then some. I rated a second bottle even higher." - 98 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021
2000 Château Léoville-Las-Cases - $1350 per bottle ; $1550 RRP
"The 2000 Léoville Las Cases is a vintage that I have encountered a dozen or so times. Jean-Hubert Délon oversaw a magnificent wine in this year. The nose of graphite-infused black fruit is still vivacious and very complex, very Pauillac-like, and supremely well focused. Hints of licorice develop with aeration. The medium-bodied palate features sappy black fruit and perfectly judged acidity. Complex and delineated, with marine-tinged mulberry and black currant notes given a deft Oriental touch on the finish. Bottles are only just beginning to drink perfectly now and will last another 30 or more years." - 97 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2021
2008 Château Margaux - $1499 per bottle ; $1800 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"This stood out immediately among the five first growth wines for its floral hit right off the first nose. The epitome of elegance, as I found at the 10-year point, but it is now also starting to deepen and layer, with concentrated black fruits balanced by linen-textured tannins, slowing the progress of the fruit through the palate, stretching out the flavours. First suggestions of tobacco and curling woodsmoke, with a mouthwatering finish - so moreish. 1.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Just 36% of overall production." - 97 Points, Jane Anson, Decanter, February 2021
2015 Château Mouton Rothschild - $1750 per bottle ; $1995 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"The 2015 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak with a mid-July 2017 bottling. Deep garnet-purple colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème de cassis and grilled meats, featuring perfectly accessorized accents of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with wafts of dried roses, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with rich, ripe black fruits sparked with blue and red fruit undertones and an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins, with seamless freshness and an epically long, earth-laced finish. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years." - 98 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
2006 Château Ausone - $1950 per bottle ; $2250 RRP
"Bright medium ruby. Brooding, pure aromas of blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, espresso and minerals. Wonderfully dense yet weightless, with a penetrating calcaire energy to its sappy black fruit and mineral flavors. This has filled out impressively since its early days in barrel but is still just at the beginning of its evolution. The slowly mounting, compellingly long finish saturates the palate with flavor, and the substantial tannins are amazingly sweet and fine-grained. My early candidate for wine of the vintage: this fills the mouth with perfume but its fruit of steel suggests that it will last a very long time. I won't be around to drink this beauty at its peak." - 97 Points, Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
2015 Château Lafite Rothschild - $2100 per bottle ; $2395 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"The deep garnet-purple shaded 2015 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot and was matured for 20 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). It is still sporting a lot of cedar at this nascent stage with a vibrant core of black raspberries, red currants and crushed plums plus touches of cigar boxes, violets and underbrush with a waft of tilled loam. Medium-bodied and elegantly styled with wonderful freshness and depth, it is compellingly earthy/minerally in the mouth with a frame of seductively silky yet very firm tannins and culminating in a very long, racy and pure finish. Boasting spectacular finesse and packed with nuances, clearly, given some of the challenges here in 2015, this is a masterpiece of diligence in the vineyards, careful selection and very clever crafting—bravo!" - 96+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
2006 Château Cheval Blanc - $2100 per bottle ; $2450 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Cheval Blanc is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc. It has the most floral bouquet of the four Serie A Grand Cru Classé: an explosion of crushed violets and potpourri, hints of leather and cigar box, the Cabernet Franc clearly lending this complexity and character. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels wonderfully structured and comes with an insistent grip that coats the mouth. This is backward and almost surly, but you have to stand back and admire the precision and arching structure on the mineral-rich finish. Top-dog Saint Emilion? That's for sure. Tasted January 2016." - 97 Points, Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
2016 Château Margaux - $2125 per bottle ; $2500 RRP
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Château Margaux (blended of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) sashays out of the glass with glamorous red currants, candied violets, kirsch and crushed blackcurrants scents followed by notions of tilled black soil, forest floor, cast iron pan and cigar box with subtle wafts of lavender and oolong tea. Medium-bodied, mineral laced accents hover over the palate with an ethereal sensation of weightlessness, yet it is super intense with layers of red and black flavors supported by a firm texture of silt-fine tannins, finishing wonderfully fragrant and incredibly long." - 99 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
2014 Château Pétrus - $6900 per bottle ; $7999 RRP (SOLD OUT)
"A wine evincing true enlightenment. It’s floral on the nose and also shows blackberries, stones, minerals and cedar. Full-bodied, yet its so fine-grained and tight. So, so long. It builds like a waterfall on the finish. The tannins are powerful yet superbly integrated and harmonious. Needs four to five years in bottle." - 98 Points, James Suckling
"Mid ruby. Quite a pale rim -- absolutely not a dense dark look! Mix of savoury and floral notes. Not exceptionally intense aromatically but very beautiful texture and an intensity of flavour that really builds on the finish. Real burgundian build! Very refined tannins and strong mineral notes on the end. Really quite distinctive. Broad and peacock’s tail. Unlike any other wine in 2014. Juicy and sweet on the end. Long and neat. Aérien." - 18.5/20 Points, Jancis Robinson
To purchase any of the wines in today's newsletter please use the links above phone us on (07) 3252 1117, or email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au - Prices valid until stock runs out or until Tuesday 21st of June 2022.