DW Wine Club Member Price: $699

Today the Château is still owned by Macquin's descendants, and its vineyard has a prime location atop the plateau overlooking the limestone ledge of the Cote de Saint-Emilion. Château Pavie Macquin's high concentration of clay in its soil is ideal for producing generous and full-bodied Merlot dominated wines.

The harvest was late at Pavie-Macquin as Nicolas Thienpont took the gamble of waiting for the Indian summer weather and only finished picking on the 19th of October. As often is the case, this wine is intensely fruity on the nose with black and blue berry fruit and notes of violets and iris. It has great polish and a full structure with quite tensile tannins which offsets well the exuberance of the fruit. There is good drive and elegance on the finish, promising well for the future.

94-95 points James Suckling "Lots of blackberry and inky character to this year. Always refined and polished with lovely length and medium body. 79% merlot, 19% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon." (6/2022)

93-95 points Wine Advocate "Another success in this challenging year is the 2021 Pavie Macquin, a promising effort that offers up aromas of sweet berries, Indian spices, licorice and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, layered and incisive, it's a tensile, tightly wound wine that's concentrated and penetrating, concluding with a mineral finish. Its low pH profile means that this is always an estate that gains a lot from élevage, but even at this early stage, it's clear that this has excellent potential. (WK)" (4/2022)

94 points Decanter "Bramble, coffee and caramel notes on the nose. Juicy and vibrant on the palate, this has a gentle coursing of strawberry and blackcurrant fruit with blackcurrant leaf giving a savoury, almost herbal edge, while the crushed stone and slate bring in minerality and salinity on the finish. Detailed and nuanced - I like the overall texture, there is grip and aromatic interest with density, chew and a gorgeous core of acidity that keeps things playful and joyous. Supremely alive and thriving on the palate with a persistence that doesn't let up. I love this and think it will be excellent after ageing. Tasted twice. (GH)" (3/2022)

Accolades: Robert Parker 93-95/100

Bettane & Desseauve 95-96/100

Wine Spectator 92/100

J. Suckling 96/100

Vinous - A. Galloni 94+/100

The Wine Independent 92-94/100

Alexandre Ma 95-97/100

Vinous Neal Martin 93/100

Castillon's limestone plateau is the "seamless" extension of the fabled Saint-Émilion (Oz Clarke), and these days any vineyard in the area that comes up for sale is snapped up by big Bordeaux names. They've finally latched on to the fact that little Castillon produces wines just as good as its grand neighbour! We were very lucky to get Colombe when we did, and we are excited to share its majestic wines with you. Like La Clarière, it's a silky Merlot-rich blend, and aged only briefly in oak, so it's fruitrich and supple and drinking beautifully now. It's a regular Gold-medal winner (11 Golds in the last five vintages) and is a must for any fine Bordeaux fan.

Anthonius and Leonarda Ham saw that the Western Heretaunga region of Hawke's Bay, with its ancient riverbeds and moderate climate, held the secret to fine wines.

They planted vineyards in this area, now known as the Bridge Pa Triangle district, and were one of the subregion's first wineries.

They remain family-owned today and have received Trophies for their impressive wines. 30 years later, they have converted fully to organic viticulture, with certification from the 2023 vintage.

New Zealander Barry Riwai is the winemaker. With considerable experience all over the world, he is well suited to produce this elegant Kiwi take on a Bordeaux blend.

L’Épiphanie is our prestige ‘secret’ label. And when we say prestige, we mean it! In 2019, out of over 800 châteaux in Bordeaux’s storied Saint-Émilion appellation, only four were ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A.’ Cheval Blanc and Ausone (first classified in 1955) were the originals. Angélus and Pavie (classified in 2012) became equally famous. Their wines sell for thousands of dollars per bottle and are usually the province of the very wealthy elite.

However, only a certain amount of Grand Vin from these top estates is allowed to be made each year. What do the wineries do with the surplus fruit? Many times they call us, because they know we are always looking for very special wines to share with our valued customers, and can be relied upon not to reveal any names.

So, no names – but let’s just say that we were VERY pleased to be able to secure this magnificent wine for you. To be clear, this is not the Grand Vin. But it’s made with the same grapes, from the same vineyards, and with the same no expense spared attention to detail – and it’s available to you at a frankly extraordinary price.

Decant to let the sublime flavours unfurl and serve with your finest roast meats. This is superb. Add some extreme luxury to your banquet table with this exceptional Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A’ Saint-Émilion.