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Hi from Matt,

We have just landed our shipment of Bordeaux from the 2008 vintage that Robert Parker describes as “classic and outstanding wines that represent excellent value.”

The wines came direct from Chateau, were trucked and shipped in a refrigerated container and are now safely resting in our temperature controlled cellar.  As lovingly-shipped imports, direct from Chateau they are well-priced and are in perfect condition.

In May this year Robert Parker published the results of his tastings of 2008 Bordeaux in bottle.  I have pasted his scores and reviews for each wine but his general comments were; “This vintage came out at low prices and the top wines have soared in value. However, most 2008s remain somewhat forgotten and under-valued vis à vis the two subsequent vintages. These are classic and outstanding wines that represent excellent value. 2008 is an exceptionally strong vintage in Pomerol and St.-Emilion as well as Graves. The Médocs are more mixed, but as the following tasting notes indicate, there are some top wines in this vintage even though they may not hit the high marks of the sumptuous 2009s or massive 2010s.”

2008 is a vintage to cellar and drink, rather than an investment vintage.  It is likely the last affordable vintage of this quality.

As you can see, quantities are limited, so to secure your share simply email your order to wine@finewinedelivery.co.nz

Best Regards
Matt

Left Bank

Chateau Talbot 2008
 $94 inclusive of GST
4 bottles available

 90/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The evolved, soft, silky 2008 Talbot is unquestionably a sleeper of the vintage, offering a dark plum/garnet color, loads of roasted herb, berry, black cherry, plum and Asian spice aromas intermixed with an attractive forest floor-like note. Already drinking well, this medium-bodied St.-Julien should continue to evolve for 10-15+ years.”
Talbot has a reputation for consistency and is one of the most carefully made and reliable of the St-Julien Cru Classé clarets. It is classified as a 4th Growth.

Chateau Beychevelle 2008 
 $99 inclusive of GST
6 bottles available

89+/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
 “This age worthy, elegant, well-made Beychevelle displays copious red and black cherry fruit notes intertwined with dusty, loamy soil and oak undertones, decent acidity, moderate tannin and impressive intensity as well as length. Give it 1-3 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the next 15-18 years.”
Château Beychevelle is a 4th Growth St-Julien wine property that boasts one of the most impressive châteaux in the whole of the Médoc.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafite Rouge 2008
$106 inclusive of GST
7 bottles available

92/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“One of the stars of the vintage, this elegant, smoky wine has hints of barbecue pit intermixed with sweet black currants and cherries. Dark purple and medium to full-bodied, its impressive finesse and wonderful purity make for a surprisingly forward style of Smith-Haut-Lafitte to drink over the next 15 or so years.  The final composition was 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. As I have noted so many times in the past, since the early nineties, Daniel and Florence Cathiard have done a remarkable job resurrecting this once insipidly run estate.”
Château Smith-Haut-Lafite has been transformed during the last decade from being a perennial underachiever to being one of the leading estates in the Graves region.

Chateau Duhart Milon Rothschild 2008 
$123 inclusive of GST
6 bottles available

 94/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“A magnificent sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 Duhart Milon is the shrewd consumer’s wine to purchase by the case as prices do not yet reflect its qualitative resurgence. Composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot that came in at 13.09% alcohol, it is a surprisingly intense effort displaying a marvelous texture, plenty of black currant, licorice, unsmoked cigar tobacco and earthy characteristics, a full-bodied mouthfeel and stunning purity as well as density. Enjoy this top-notch 2008 over the next 20-25 years.  As I have previously written, Duhart Milon has become one of the stars of Pauillac thanks to the meticulous attention to detail as well as the investments made by the Rothschild family. A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, with the Cabernet picked during the week of October 8-15, and the Merlot a week earlier.”
Duhart Milon Rothschild is a 4th Growth Pauillac estate owned and managed by Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

Chateau Pichon Baron 2008
$163 inclusive of GST
2 bottles available

 95/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
 “A sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 Pichon Longueville Baron is one of the densest, most concentrated wines of Pauillac in 2008. An inky/purple color is followed by aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, blackberries, charcoal, coffee and licorice. Exceptionally full-bodied with velvety tannins and undeniable appeal, this gorgeous, well-proportioned, larger than life 2008 should age effortlessly for two decades or more. With the realistic pricing that remains for many 2008s, this is a no-brainer.”
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, a leading Pauillac 2nd Growth, is one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious “super seconds”.

Chateau Latour Les Forts de Latour 2008
$182 inclusive of GST
36 bottles available

91/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“A strong effort, this 2008 exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, more minerality than the 2010 and hints of cedarwood, black currants, underbrush and forest floor. This round, generous blend of 66.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33.5% Merlot should easily last for two decades or more.  The second wine seems to have picked up most of the Merlot from the Latour vineyards (31.5% Merlot and 66.5% Cabernet Sauvignon dominate the blend).”
Les Forts de Latour is the second wine of 1st Growth Pauillac Chateau Latour and now regarded as a great wine in its own right, certainly worthy of Classified Growth status.

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2008
$227 inclusive of GST
8 bottles available

95+/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“One of the stars of the vintage, and a remarkable achievement in 2008, with impressive richness, this dense purple colored wine is almost as opaque as the 2010. Spring flowers, crushed rocks, creme de cassis and some subtle oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine that transcends the vintage character in its power, richness, and aging potential. It also exhibits tremendous precision, purity, and depth of character. It is more forward than the 2010 is likely to be, but probably not as sumptuous as the 2009 will turn out to be. This is a wine to buy. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.  In Bruno Borie’s words, the 2008 Ducru Beaucaillou is “well above 2004, with much more structure than 2007, and more sensuality than 2006.” I would add that it is even better than that, and as profound as the 2005. Approximately 33% of the crop made it into Ducru, which came in at 13.1% natural alcohol. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot blend.”
For many, Ducru-Beaucaillou is the quintessential St-Julien.  Ducru-Beaucaillou is classified as a 2nd Growth

Chateau Pape Clement 2008
$225 inclusive of GST
8 bottles available

 95/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“One of the top successes of the vintage, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot was harvested between October 8 and 24. The late harvest ensured perfect ripeness as evidenced by the sweet bouquet of black cherries, lead pencil shavings, cassis and subtle barbecue smoke. Well-balanced with good acidity, ripe tannins, medium to full body and a layered mouthfeel, this excellent 2008 can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years.
The flagship estate of one of the most remarkable men in France, Bernard Magrez, it counts Michel Rolland as their guru-in-chief. The viticultural work is meticulous, with de-leafing and crop-thinning, all the grapes are hand-harvested in small plastic crates, and are destemmed by hand by more than 200 people – unheard of anywhere else in Bordeaux. The wine receives a Burgundian-like punch-down treatment, a month-long maceration, and the wine is moved by gravity (rather than traumatic pumps) through all the different steps of winemaking. It is aged on its lees for nearly a year. For over a decade now, the result has been one of the greatest wines of Bordeaux, clearly a wine of first-growth quality.”
Château Pape Clément is a Cru Classé Graves property that has one of the oldest documented histories of any Bordeaux vineyard and now produces one of the finest clarets in Pessac-Léognan.

Right Bank

Chateau Pavie 2008
$366 inclusive of GST
6 bottles available

95/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“A remarkable success in this vintage, Pavie’s 92 acre vineyard situated on the limestone soils of the spectacular south-facing Cote Pavie (one of the greatest terroirs of Bordeaux) was cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare. A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an atypical (for a 2008) alcohol level of 14.5% that is higher than in its 2010 counterpart, the opaque purple-colored 2008 exhibits sweet, smoky barbecue notes intermixed with creme de cassis, black cherry, toast and crushed chalk. Deep, intense and full-bodied with surprisingly civilized tannins for such a young Pavie, it reveals wonderful breadth of flavor, a savory texture and a layered mouthfeel. It should drink beautifully in 2-4 years and keep for 25 or more.”
Château Pavie is a St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé situated south-east of the village of St-Emilion on a south-facing slope of the famous limestone plateau.

Sauternes

Chateau Climens 2008
$218 inclusive of GST
8 bottles available

93/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The 2008 Climens has a “clinical” bouquet with tangerine, grapefruit, pear and apricot that is very pure, but at the moment very tight. The palate is understated on the entry but builds nicely, with viscous honeyed fruit with marmalade, quince and spice. It clams up on the finish like Climens often does in its youth, but there is patently great potential and may merit a higher score in adulthood. Drink now-2040.”
Château Climens is the leading property in Barsac, Bordeaux and produces one of the greatest sweet wines in Bordeaux.  If d`Yquem is the epitome of power and concentration, then Climens is the epitome of delicacy, finesse and complexity. Climens is classified as a Sauternes First Growth.

To 0rder, email: wine@finewinedelivery.co.nz