3 bottles              Camino Del Pelegrino Albarino 2009
3 bottles              Pazo Senorans Albarino 2010
3 bottles              Valminor Albarino 2009
3 bottles              Vela Albarino 2010

3 bottles Camino Del Pelegrino Albarino 2009
Nice label. Take something like this to dinner to trial on the Sauvignon Blanc/Gris/Grigo set. Close with a smug look on receipt of compliments wrt your superior tastes. Crunchy pears, stonefruit and the scent of white flowers - sort of tutti-frutti though nothing quite so vulgar. Touch of flinty reduction. Round and full of flavour but not at the expense of drinkability. Has fine clean acidity and a gentle easy going charm. Bit of the old pie apple flavour on the aftertaste. Refreshing and delightful. And highly recommended. Rated : 92 Points Tasted : Jul10 Alcohol : 12% Price : $28 Closure : Screwcap Drink : 2010 - 2012 By Gary Walsh; The Wine Front

3 bottles Pazo Senorans Albarino 2010
It’s grown on a terraced vineyard and it’s very, very good. Smells of lees and sulphur. I don’t mind that as an introduction at all. Put it in your mouth and be immediately impressed by how tight and fine and complex it is. Lees, white flowers, crunchy yellow-skinned apples. Excellent length. Finesse. And definition. Worth every cent. Distributed in Australia by Echelon Wine Partners. Rated : 94 Points; Alcohol : 13.5% Price : $38 Closure : Screwcap Drink : 2011 - 2016; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front

3 bottles Valminor Albarino 2009
Juicy fruit and a nice tight, bright mineral acid line. It has a shiny pale lemon appearance and the wine is equally bright. Typically for Valmiñor, it’s reasonably full and fleshy up front with amazing detail and subtle cut and run. As should be the case for good Albariño, the fruit profile begins with nashi pear, but is intermingled with citrus pith so it’s sorta soft and crunchy at the same time, and tinged with lime leaf, green herbs and golden flowers. There’s a gentle suggestion of creaminess (aged Riesling-like, not Chardonnayesque) in mid-palate from some post-ferment lees treatment, which then yields to the herb fleck and mineral-acid line. Extraordinary value, too, we feel. Scott Wasley, The Spanish Acquisition

3 bottles Vela Albarino 2010
The flooded river estuaries (called Rias) that dot the dramatic coastline of Galicia in the remote north-west of Spain offer access to a lush and inviting landscape unique within the country. Even in the heat of summer, the ocean provides cooling afternoon breezes and plentiful rainfall. It is no surprise that Galician life revolves around the ocean and that its vineyards create a wine that is a perfect match to the region’s abundant seafood. Vela Albariño is created by Bodegas Gallegas, a family owned company with over forty years history in the region. Sourced from the sandy, low yielding soils of the Salnes sub-region (arguably the finest subregion of Rias Baixas), Vela is an unoaked, elegant and fruit -driven expression of this classic Spanish variety.

3 bottles Jean Luc Mader Pinot Blanc 2010
3 bottles Jean Luc Mader Riesling 2010
3 bottles Jean Luc Mader Pinot Gris 2010
3 bottles Jean Luc Mader Gewurztraminer 2010

Jean Luc Mader Pinot Blanc 2010 - (Stelvin Luxe Screwcap Seal)
Fine racy and floral. Classic white flower and citric aromas lead to a crisp and refreshing palate. Perfect aperitif - and great with seafood.

Jean Luc Mader Pinot Gris 2010 - (Stelvin Luxe Screwcap Seal)
Very fragrant peach, apple and tropical fruit characters on the nose and palate. Round and supple in texture, with wonderfully precise flavour. Great concentration and depth with a little residual sweetness in this ripe vintage. The rich texture and cleansing acid balance gives this wine great appeal.

Jean Luc Mader Gewurztraminer 2010
Take one whiff of this wine and it’s impossible to mistake the grape variety. Shows classic rose petal aromas, with hints of wild flowers and exotic Lychee fruit. Lovely round texture, with layer after layer of flavour extending to a very long and generous finish. This is classic Alsace Gewurztraminer.

Jean Luc Mader Riesling 2010 - (Stelvin Luxe Screwcap Seal)
2010 Riesling (stelvin-luxe seal)  contains almost 20% of de-classified Rosacker Grand cru fruit. 2010 has produced a fine dry Riesling with texture and depth. Intense floral citrus and lime aromas with mineral backing and wonderful acid backbone.

4 bottles Jean Luc Mader Riesling Grand Cru Rosacker 2009
4 bottles Jean Luc Mader Pinot Gris Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 (Dry)
4 bottles Jean Luc Mader Pinot Gris Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 (Sweet)

Jean Luc Mader Riesling Grand Cru Rosacker 2009
From 60+ year old vines located at the top of the vineyard. A ripe and very flattering vintage for this outstanding Grand Cru vineyard which is home to the famous ‘Clos St Hune’ Riesling from Trimbach. Great depth, finesse and shape with rich, intense citrus fruit with notes of minerality and outstanding length. The wine’s great depth of fruit, structure and minerally acidity ensures that 10 years or more of careful cellaring would be well repaid. A great dry Riesling from a great vintage and great vineyard!!

Jean Luc Mader Pinot Gris Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 (Dry)
The renowned Grand Cru Schlossberg is the largest Grand Cru of Alsace. It is a sought-after terroir for excellent Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. A firm, elegant aroma with some spicy apricots and only a hint of sous-bois. The taste is fruity and full and not at all sweet. The acidity is fresh, making it perfect on the table.

Jean Luc Mader Pinot Gris Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 (Sweet)
By Sweet, we mean very sweet. 170 grams of residual which results in a wine of amazing concentration and amazing value when one considers how much fruit is required to make even a single bottle of this wine, made entirely from the Grand Cru Schlossberg.

3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis 1er Vaulorent 2009
3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre 2009
3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis 1er Les Lys 2009
3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis 1er Fourchaume 2009

William Fèvre Chablis 1er Vaulorent 2009
A classic nose of oyster shell, tidal pool, iodine, green fruit and dried white flowers is very much in keeping with the concentrated, powerful and serious middle weight flavors that culminate in a sappy finish of superb length. This is impressive. (91-94 points) - Comments: Don't miss! Outstanding - Drink: 2015+ Allen Meadows; Burghound

William Fèvre Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre 2009
This is markedly more complex and more elegant as well with an expressive nose of white flower, citrus and pear nuances that precede the rich, full-bodied, powerful and serious flavors that do not lose precision or focus on the impressively long finish. This is very Zen-like as the sense of harmony is really lovely. (91-93 points) - Comments: Don't miss! Outstanding - Drink: 2015+ Allen Meadows; Burghound

William Fèvre Chablis 1er Les Lys 2009
A cool, airy and sophisticated nose offers up extremely fresh and pure aromas of stone, white peach and a hint of mineral reduction that complements the subtle, even delicate flavors that possess really lovely detail and ample minerality on the citrusy, clean and delineated finish. Lovely stuff fashioned in an understated style. (90-92 points) - Comments: Sweet spot Outstanding  - Drink: 2014+ Allen Meadows; Burghound

William Fèvre Chablis 1er Fourchaume 2009
A very Chablis-like nose of tidal pool hints, green fruit and wet stone gives way to notably rich and generous flavors that remain very fresh and vibrant, all wrapped in an intense and sappy finish that is presently on the fruity side though I suspect that this character will abate with age. (90-92 points) - Comments: Sweet spot Outstanding  - Drink: 2015+ Allen Meadows; Burghound

3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2009
3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2009
3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2009
3 bottles William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros ‘Côte de Bouguerots’ 2009
 
William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2009
(from 4 separate parcels totalling 4.11 ha, 3 of which are all at the top of the slope). Here the wood influence is somewhat more noticeable though not enough to materially detract from the otherwise pure, cool and high-toned white flower, stone and sea breeze suffused aromas that complement well the rich, powerful and intensely mineral-driven flavors that possess fine focus and verve on the explosively long finish. This is seriously impressive in absolute terms but especially so in the context of the vintage. (93-95 points) Drink: 2016+ Comments: Don't miss! Allen Meadows; Burghound

William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2009
It's arguable that in 2009 that this is the most elegant and refined wine in the range as the ultra pure and airy white flower, citrus zest, iodine and oyster shell aromas complement to perfection the extremely fresh and silkily textured flavors blessed with ample amounts of acid-buffering dry extract that culminate in an explosive yet harmonious and sophisticated finale with perhaps a bit less youthful austerity than usual. I very much like this. (92-95 points) Drink: 2016+ Comments: Don't miss! Allen Meadows; Burghound

William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2009
A discreet touch of wood sets off fresh, cool and reserved aromas that are elegant, airy and citrusy before merging into rich, intense, pure and admirably precise medium-bodied flavors that possess really lovely balance and superb length. A wine of harmony and class. (92-95 points) Drink: 2015+ Comments: Don't miss! Allen Meadows; Burghound

William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros ‘Côte de Bouguerots’ 2009
This is a big step up in refinement, particularly aromatically with an abundance of oyster shell and tidal pool nuances to the white flower, citrus and Chablis-style green fruit. The rich, powerful and mouth coating flavors possess real drive but also beautiful detail on the intensely mineral-driven finish that possesses outstanding length. (92-94 points) Drink: 2015+ Comments: Don't miss! Allen Meadows; Burghound

3 bottles Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010
3 bottles Lawsons Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2010
3 bottles Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010
3 bottles Waipara Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Over $250 retail value

3 bottles Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Astrolabe earns my vote for being New Zealand’s leading Sauvignon Blanc maker. This is the best of four Sauvignon Blanc labels that include two wines from Kekerengu which is on the coast half way between Blenheim and Kaikoura. This is an intensely flavoured wine with the classic Awatere characters of tomato leaf, green capsicum, nettle, mineral and gooseberry. Assertive Sauvignon Blanc with character and class. 95 Point; Bob Campbell MW

3 bottles Lawsons Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The hallmarks of this wine are intensity and complexity, with a beautifully lifted nose of lemongrass, passionfruit, lemon sherbet and green herb aromas. The palate has great concentration, with crisp acidity providing freshness, whilst emphasising the mineral/chalky character and length of the wine. Juicy citrus, zingy lime, passionfruit and fresh cut grass flavours all feature. More suble notes of melon, mango and mealy barrel fermentation add complexity.

3 bottles Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010
With Giesens range of vineyard locations we get a considerable flavour profile which when blended provides a distinctive style that displays both ripe fruit and the crisper, green and lively components that are characteristic of Marlborough. "Another solid performance from Giesen’s staple sauvignon blanc. This has a heady mix of citrus, stone-fruit and fleshy tropical passionfruit aromas – bright and lifted. The palate delivers juicy, fl avoursome impact, with a rolling, glossy texture. Hits the mark. 91 Points; Nick Stock

3 bottles Waipara Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010
100% Stainless steel was used to retain the fresh fruit characters of this wine. This wine was made from fruit of both the Wairau and the Awatere Valleys of Marlborough. Pale yellow and green. Ripe and rich, with lifted tropical notes along with fresh herbaceousness. A beautifully generous palate, with crisp acidity and a long finish. Once again tropical flavours combined with nettles and capsicum characters to give crispness and structure. Gold - New Zealand International Wine Competition 2010 Gold - Mundus Vini Great International Wine Show (Germany) Pure Silver - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2010 Silver - Wrest Point Royal Hobart International Wine Show 2010 Silver - Japan Wine Show 2011 Bronze - IWC International Wine Challenge 2011 (UK) Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards

3 bottles De Iuliis Hunter Valley Semillon 2011
3 bottles Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2010 - (96/100 James Halliday)
3 bottles Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005 - (95/100 James Halliday)
3 bottles Tyrrells Stevens Semillon 2007 - (94/100 James Halliday)

Over $350 retail value

3 bottles Tyrrells Belford Semillon 2006 - (96/100 James Halliday)
Light, bright straw-green; the bouquet is still youthful, with a hint of beeswax before the focus moves onto the elegant, ripe citrus palate, with energy that is easy to miss, the acidity of the aftertaste the framework for the future. Rating: 96 Points; Drink By: 2020; Price: $30.00; Date Tasted: 04 Mar 2011; James Halliday

3 bottles Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2010 - (96/100 James Halliday)
Classic Andrew Thomas, classic Braemore Vineyard, classic Hunter semillon. A beautifully weighted and composed wine with lime/lemon notes on the fore-palate, then vibrant minerally acidity on the back-palate and finish. Drink: 2025; 96 Points; James Halliday

3 bottles Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005 - (95/100 James Halliday)
Cellar aged. Glowing yellow-green, from a top-quality semillon vintage, and joins a band of great aged releases by other Hunter Valley makers; lemon and honey jockey for position on the effortless palate, the balance perfect. Triumphed at the Tri Nations Challange 2010. Screwcap; 11.5% Alc; Rating: 95 Points; Drink to 2015; Price $23; James Halliday Wine Companion 2012

3 bottles De Iuliis Hunter Valley Semillon 2011
Tasted as part of a line up of 18 Hunter Valley V2011 Semillon for a ‘tweet-up’ (single blind first pass), the notes are necessarily brief and unpolished, but hopefully more useful on the site than none at all. If there’s problems with formatting it’s because I’m testing my new XLS upload function. Some sulphur, good fruit, peachy, zesty lemon, good acid, plenty of flint and drive. Like that it’s a bit extra minerally, possibly because of the sulphur, but hey. Jumps on the finish a bit too. Nice. Rated : 93 Points Tasted : Oct-11 Alcohol : 11.5% Price : $18 Closure : Screwcap Drink : 2011 - 2022; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front

3 bottles Telmo Rodriguez ‘Basa’ Verdejo 2009
3 bottles Telmo Rodriguez Gaba do Xil Godello 2009
3 bottles Valminor Albarino 2009
3 bottles Vela Albarino 2010

3 bottles Telmo Rodriguez ‘Basa’ Verdejo 2009
Subtle vegetal-meets-tropical fruits, in a toned-down register. Yellow fruit peel and Rueda sandy-mineral aromatics. Mild-mannered, despite a passionfruit sauvignon peek-out, gorgeously smooth easy-drinking. Best Basa yet, bar none, unequivocally, and a very, very good wine (in fact, unbeknownst to me, I judged it in a blind line-up recently and gave it a gold medal 18.5/20 on outright quality terms!). A not-so-fruity Rueda Verdejo with gently-softly-crunchy-driving palate nerve. Gorgeous texture without overt fructose, perfectly savoury minerality and really unbelievable length. Oh, yeah and some really yummy fruit, too. Scott Wasley, The Spanish Acquisition

3 bottles Telmo Rodriguez Gaba do Xil Godello 2009
Made from 100% Godello, Gaba do Xil is grown in shallow, stony granite soils on terraces facing south, west and northwest. These coarse soils are low fertility and low water retention capacity, forcing the vines to struggle and limiting yields. The wine is fermented in steel tanks and sees some aging on lees before bottling. There’s a hint of lanolin and wax as usual for Godello, but lemon-melon-pear are the main flavours, particularly canned pear. Texture is slinky-creamy with mineral and a nip of fresh acid at the finish. Scott Wasley, The Spanish Acquisition

3 bottles Valminor Albarino 2009
Juicy fruit and a nice tight, bright mineral acid line. It has a shiny pale lemon appearance and the wine is equally bright. Typically for Valmiñor, it’s reasonably full and fleshy up front with amazing detail and subtle cut and run. As should be the case for good Albariño, the fruit profile begins with nashi pear, but is intermingled with citrus pith so it’s sorta soft and crunchy at the same time, and tinged with lime leaf, green herbs and golden flowers. There’s a gentle suggestion of creaminess (aged Riesling-like, not Chardonnayesque) in mid-palate from some post-ferment lees treatment, which then yields to the herb fleck and mineral-acid line. Extraordinary value, too, we feel. Scott Wasley, The Spanish Acquisition

3 bottles Vela Albarino 2010
The flooded river estuaries (called Rias) that dot the dramatic coastline of Galicia in the remote north-west of Spain offer access to a lush and inviting landscape unique within the country. Even in the heat of summer, the ocean provides cooling afternoon breezes and plentiful rainfall. It is no surprise that Galician life revolves around the ocean and that its vineyards create a wine that is a perfect match to the region’s abundant seafood. Vela Albariño is created by Bodegas Gallegas, a family owned company with over forty years history in the region. Sourced from the sandy, low yielding soils of the Salnes sub-region (arguably the finest subregion of Rias Baixas), Vela is an unoaked, elegant and fruit -driven expression of this classic Spanish variety.

4 x Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze 2008
4 x Heritiers des Comtes Lafon Macon Vire-Clesse 2009
4 x Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin Les Frionnes 1er Cru 2009

Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze 2008
Domaine Leflaive needs little introduction to wine lovers. It has been described as Burgundy’s greatest white wine domaine, and while this is a pretty strong claim, it is a justifiable one. They have some of the finest vineyard holdings in Puligny Montrachet and in 1997, after much experimentation made the very bold and brave decision to convert fully to bio-dynamic viticulture. The results speak for themselves. Outstanding Top value; An expressive and ever-so-mildly rustic green fruit and citrus suffused nose merges into delicious and nicely precise flavors that possess good cut and punch on the linear and long finish. This is not overly complex but for what this is it delivers excellent quality. Tasted: Jun 01, 2010; Score: 89 Drink: 2012+ Issue 39; Allen Meadows; Burghound

Heritiers des Comtes Lafon Macon Vire-Clesse 2009
An expressive nose offers up notes of white flower and ripe exotic yellow and orange fruit that introduces intense and beautifully detailed medium-bodied flavors that possess fine dry extract levels that confer a sappy character to the lingering finish. This is impressive as it's even finer than the Clos du Four. Also worth considering. (Tasted: Oct 01, 2010) 88-91 points Allen Meadows; Burghound

Hubert Lamy Saint Aubin Les Frionnes 1er Cru 2009
Lamy has 2.4 hectares in this appellation with the vines planted in 1935, 1960 and 1985. This is delicious and much more textural than previous releases we’ve offered of this wine. Oodles of lovely, ripe, fleshy mandarin, candied peel noted fruit and along, fresh finish. Delicious. Outstanding Top value. There is very mild reduction present but it's not enough to hide the otherwise lively white flower, lemon rind and wet stone aromas that precede attractively textured, intense and admirably pure flavors that exude a real sense of energy and punch on the highly persistent finish. This is a wine of harmony and finesse but also ample personality. Drink: 2015+ 90-92 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound.com Issue 43, 2011