5 wines to cellar (or enjoy now)
Whether you’re thinking about a big occasion - or just something on standby ready to celebrate one of life’s little victories - it’s always good to have a bottle or two lying in wait, somewhere cool and undisturbed.
But how do you know what’s going to be good to hold on to? Fear not - here’s five delicious in-stock recommendations for wines that are great now and will develop for another decade if you’ll let them.
Shiraz 2020 – Black Market Deal #46457
This is a wine with staying power - dense and inky in the glass. Velvety and slick. A wine for lovers of fruit driven, bold shiraz. Aromatically there's a lot on offer, from blueberry and bramble to blackcurrant leaf and cedar (and a bit of spice for good measure). The weight of the palate is intense and satisfying, carrying the wine through a significant and sumptuous finish. It's just delightful in every way. The winery mentions fifteen years of cellaring potential, but we reckon they're being conservative - we'd love to see this in two decades time.
Marco Lazzeretti Brunello di Montalcino 2018
This is not a wine for the faint of heart, with concentration, density and explosive flavour. This is our fourth vintage of this stunner and it’s been a hit with our mofos. Perhaps you’d open a bottle or two this year just to get a feel for the wine, but then lay the rest down to age. It’ll unwind beautifully as the years go on with absolutely no rush to pop a cork. Look out for blackberries, leather, forest floor, cherry, anise and pepper on the nose and palate. The tannins will be tightly wound and quite apparent now, but expect them to relax into the bottle as time goes on. This is true, timeless class ready to age - expect it to still deliver by 2035.
Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añón Gran Reserva 2016
This is classic Gran Reserva Rioja, which indicates at least five years ageing, and minimum two years in oak barrel. This wine was picked on the riper side, so there is an abundance of juicy fruit character balancing the sweet and spicy oak. At 7 years old, all elements are singing harmoniously and there isn’t a string out of tune. The colour is still dark and the palate firm and grippy. The fruit is on the plush side, balanced by nice tannin. This wine offers a great experience to the intrepid drinker, with the fruit power to make you feel at home. Rated 95pts and also gold medal winning, the best part is that we reckon it’ll go until 2037 (if you can wait, that is).
Château de Vaudieu Chateauneuf Du Pape 2020
This family run vineyard is located in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and is quite literally called the Valley of God (Val de Dieu). This family run vineyard is located in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and is quite literally called the Valley of God (Val de Dieu). Making wine for over 250 years, the soil is grown on gentle slopes with premium sunshine, which allows the grapes to turn rich and juicy. Resting in oak barrels for a year and a half before it gets put in the bottle, this wine is big, bold and fabulous. With intense flavours of dried cherry, leather and chocolate, we recommend pulling this one out for your fanciest dinner - either now or for the next decade.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 – Black Market Deal #46189
This is serious wine. That's not to say it's overly thinky - too technical and hard to unravel - it's simple just immense. Deep, brooding cabernet that flaunts the varietals reputation for medium-plus body. Soft and supple but still boasting broad palate weight that fills the mouth, arrests the gums, and lives on long after its been swallowed. James Halliday called this wine "seriously good cabernet," and, in his brevity, he sums it up perfectly; this bests every mark for classic Coonawarra cab - seriously good indeed. Classic and complete; this may well be the best thing you drink all year, or for years to come.
Want to make sure your wines are always good to go when you’re ready to sip? Check out our guide to storing and ageing wine.
Want something aged, now? Check out our picks from the cellar.