Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
We specialise in historic vintages of fine claret, buying directly from Bordeaux since 1969. We have exceptional stocks of mature vintages, some originally purchased from us and privately stored, others bought from the cellars of collectors, Oxbridge Colleges and similar institutions.
E-mail sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk to order
No minimum order. All prices exclude carriage and UK VAT. Wines listed 'IB' (in bond) exclude UK duty. All wines offered subject to confirmation of stock availability, condition and price, E&OE. Full terms & conditions.
| RED | 2022 | 5 cases | Lismore Estate - Syrah Estate Reserve | 75cl | £260 per case of 6 | Lismore Estate Syrah Estate Reserve 2022 / 5 cases / 75cl £260 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"I'm very happy with 12% alcohol," says Samantha O'Keefe of the small quantities of this late-picked Syrah from Greyton's distinctly cool climate. Featuring 50% whole bunches, it's a taut, refreshing, intensely peppery, sage and oregano-scented style with cranberry and pomegranate fruit, spicy, savoury tannins, deftly handled 32% new wood and a pithy finish. Drink 2024-30. 95 points" Tim Atkin------"The 2021 Syrah Estate Reserve, which comes from the vineyard most damaged by the fire in 2020, is 50% whole bunches and aged in 500 and 700-liter barrels, 25% new. The potent nose of raspberry coulis, blueberry and touches of cough candy, taking its time to settle in the glass and lose it initial exuberance. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled, slightly chalky tannins. Its fresh and vibrant, sapid towards the finish, with a long, Côte-Rôtie-like aftertaste and garrigue notes filtering through with time. This should be afforded a couple of years in bottle and will continue to evolve over the next 15-20 years. Just 12% alcohol, too. Drinking Window 2025-2045. 94 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com |
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| WHITE | 2022 | 5 cases | Lismore Estate - Viognier 'Age of Grace' | 75cl | £104 per case of 6 | Lismore Estate Viognier 'Age of Grace' 2022 / 5 cases / 75cl £104 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2022 Viognier The Age of Grace comes from five parcels, is oxidatively handled, whole bunch pressed, and 30% raised in concrete egg, spending 11 months on the lees. Intoxicating on the nose, this offers citrus fruit, frangipane, beeswax and orange blossom scents, very perfumed but not as overpowering as this grape variety can be. The palate is well-balanced with yellow fruit, orange rind and nectarine, a silver bead of acidity and wonderful precision on the sustained finish. So Crystalline! A triumph. Drinking Window 2024-2040. 95 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com |
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| WHITE | 2022 | 5 cases | Vasse Felix - Heytesbury Chardonnay | 75cl | £540 per case of 12 | Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2022 / 5 cases / 75cl £540 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes“The 2022 Heytesbury Chardonnay is lighter, fresher and finer than I can ever remember the Heytesbury tasting on release. It stylistically made a name for itself in the mid 2000s for the high-solid ferments, flinty reduction and spice aplenty. These days, I feel the style has swung gently back toward the middle, presenting us with a wine that is infinitely composed, powerful, restrained and yet kaleidoscopic in its fruit profile. I am not a fan of bombastic "best ever" statements, but this may go down as one of the greatest Heytesburys I have had the pleasure of tasting on release, and that is a statement that pays respect to the 2010 and 2013 vintages. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2024-2038. 97 points" Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 5 cases | Kumeu River - Coddington Chardonnay | 75cl | £150 per case of 6 | Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2023 / 5 cases / 75cl £150 per case of 6 |
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Tasting NotesTIED 1:1 WITH 2023 ESTATE OR RAY'S ROAD "The 2023 Chardonnay Coddington provides its typical rounder shape and comforting suppleness despite being clearly lighter in concentration and richness than in recent years. At just 12.6% alcohol, it's bright and fresh, with a zestiness pervading its core. It's balanced (when isn't a Kumeu River?), but it's done in a lighter, zipper, citrus-driven style with no new ook. The lees contact is a important here in imbuing it with mid-palate texture. Drinking Window 2024-2032. 89 points" Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous.com-----"The 2023 Coddington Chardonnay is sleek and polished. The fruit is on the kiwi fruit, almond meal and white peach end of the spectrum, and the fruit is lean. Tightly coiled acidity is gently embossed into the fruit; it is neatly packaged and very tight. The wine builds as it opens, and while the first sip was difficult to get a reading on, the ensuing interactions are juicier and more saliva-inducing. The restraint is attractive, and the back-palate weighting of flavor similarly makes for charming drinking. 12.6% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink date 2024-33. 94 points" Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com------"I always love this wine and despite the vintage tribulations, the Coddington retains its signature vineyard character, one of generousness and exuberance. Ripe and rich, within the context of the vintage, more open than the tightly wound Hunting Hill. There is a little ripe stonefruit, some biscuit and cream. Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted May 2024. 94 points" Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com------"The complexity and flintiness are so enticing, with sliced apples, lemons, minerals and gunpowder. Full-bodied, dense and intense, with subtle brioche, cooked lemon and apple notes. Racy and steely but with richness underneath. Some lemongrass. So complex. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 95 points." James Suckling, Aug '24 |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 20 cases | Kumeu River - Estate Chardonnay | 75cl | £90 per case of 6 | Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2023 / 20 cases / 75cl £90 per case of 6 |
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Tasting NotesTIED 1:1 WITH 2023 ESTATE OR RAY'S ROAD "A blend of several parcels in and around Kumeu, the 2023 Chardonnay Estate is done in a lighter, skip-along style than most recent vintages. Athletic with a tight, acid-diven finish the wine's fruit is in the cooler, citrusy spectrum. A leesy texture builds some softness through the light-bodied core. A subtle hint of nuttiness lingers on the medium-length finish. Drinking Window 2024-2030. 88 points" Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous.com------"...Whole-bunch pressed. Spontaneous fermentation in used French oak barrels (usually 20% new but not for this lighter vintage). 100% malo. 11 months’ maturation in barrel. Distinctly lemon nose and mouth-filling. Good substance on the palate and definition. Great drink for the near term! Quite a step up from the Village. Athletic....12.5%. Drink 2024 – 2030. 16.5 points" (JR) Jancisrobinson.com------"The 2023 Estate Chardonnay leads with preserved citrus, white flowers, crushed nuts and brine. In the mouth, the wine is light and lacy—hints of green apple, nectarine and a little tangerine—with taut acidity that vibrates through the ethereally weighted fruit. It's a light iteration of this wine and lovely for it. It was made with handpicked fruit, whole-bunch pressed and barrel fermented using indigenous yeasts. 12.5% alcohol's sealed under screw cap. Drink date 2023-33. 91 points" Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com------"Compared to the Village chardonnay, there's a touch of extra concentration here. Barely ripe white nectarine, a little guava and red apple alongside the merest hint of flint. There is a strong spine of acid, but this provides structure for the fruit. A faint note of creamy malo adds another layer. Drink from 2024-2028. Tasted May 2024. 91 points" Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com------"This is fresh, crunchy and clean, with mineral and spice notes and plenty of salty undertones. Sliced lemons and apples. Medium-bodied with a fresh finish....93 points." James Suckling, Aug '24 |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 4 cases | Kumeu River - Hunting Hill Chardonnay | 75cl | £190 per case of 6 | Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2023 / 4 cases / 75cl £190 per case of 6 |
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Tasting NotesTIED 1:1 WITH 2023 ESTATE OR RAY'S ROAD "There's some really punchy acidity in the 2023 Chardonnay Hunting Hill. It's the coolest, breeziest of the three single vineyards at Kumeu, which is highlighted by the vintage, creating an athletic character. It displays its characteristic lemon/lime while its tight, forceful texture grips the roof of your mouth. It is not the most concentrated of Hunting Hills, but it still attains balance and restraint. No new oak was used in 2023, usually around 25%. One for the cellar, but if you must open in the coming 2-5 years, decant this wine. Drinking Window 2025-2035. 91 points" Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous.com-----"There is no new oak on any of the 2023s (with the exception of Rays Road) but a portion was aged in one and two year old barrels. Lemon drops and crisp red apple. A subtle silken creamy texture, with the signature edge of flint (but not of the volume seen in the previous vintages). Impressive and elegant. Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted May 2024. 94 points" Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com------"The 2023 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the most concentrated of the collection so far with the Ray's Road wine still to be tasted. This vineyard is very close to the Maté's vineyard, up on the slope overlooking the other. The wine has nuances of sun-dried kelp, scratched lemon peel, yellow peach and churned butter/almond meal richness. This is likely more in line with the vineyard expression "as we know it," with a floral lift through the finish. This is a really good wine here. It's nutty, salty and floral. 12.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink date 2024-33. 95 points" Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com------"Aromas of apples, white peaches and steel with hints of lemongrass, fresh basil, flint and white flowers. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and dense center palate and a crunchy and flavorful finish. Energetic acidity. So fresh yet dense at the same time. 96 points." James Suckling, Aug '24 |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 3 cases | Kumeu River - Maté's Chardonnay | 75cl | £200 per case of 6 | Kumeu River Maté's Chardonnay 2023 / 3 cases / 75cl £200 per case of 6 |
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Tasting NotesTIED 1:1 WITH 2023 ESTATE OR RAY'S ROAD "Despite the challenging vintage, the 2023 Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard shows its attractively chewy, textural personality, richer concentration and length. The wine is certainly ripe despite only hitting 12.5% alcohol, with a buzzy acidity enveloped by a wine that is surprisingly succulent and satisfying despite the season. Perhaps I ought not to be surprised. It is Kumeu River's Maté's, after all. Drinking Window 2024-2038. 93 points" Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous.com-----"The 2023 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay is complete; all flavor points and spice characteristics are present and accounted for, albeit restrained and even a little muted. The low-lying Maté's vineyard received plenty of rain and runoff in the 2023 rainfall, but the wine still feels fresh, vibrant and focused. There are notes of shaved fennel, white pepper, almond meal and tatami mat/straw—a decidedly white spectrum of flavor and spice. Stylistically, I usually see this wine being quite punchy, powerful and sometimes tropical. In this wet year, the wine is retrained and decidedly composed—while some may view this as being "not the Maté's style," I think it is a very good iteration of this vineyard. Time will tell, but I like it a lot. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink date 2024-38. 94 points" Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com------"More reticent than the other wines on the nose but the richness and density come through on the palate. The Mendoza clone fruit really shines this year, the small berries giving and intensity and concentration. This is the 31st vintage of Matés and Brajkovich is committed to treasure the vines, even though ever present leaf-roll virus remains. Enticing and fine boned with a surprisingly lengthy finish. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted May 2024. 95 points 5 STAR WINE" Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com------"Very steely and floral, with brightness and impressive aromas of honeysuckle, lemongrass and just a touch of cream. Medium- to full-bodied with layered and creamy phenolics that give a lovely, almost velvety texture to the wine, and then the end is so crisp and minerally. Driven at the end. Needs time to come together. This will be so complex in three to four years. Best after 2027. 97 points." James Suckling, Aug '24 |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 20 cases | Kumeu River - Ray's Road Chardonnay | 75cl | £95 per case of 6 | Kumeu River Ray's Road Chardonnay 2023 / 20 cases / 75cl £95 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"It's amazing that a 2023 Chardonnay Rays Road was even made, considering Cyclone Gabrielle left many homes and vineyards underwater or even washed them away. At 180m, the vineyard at Rays Road escaped flooding but not the rain. I's a light, spritely wine with a freshly squeezed lemon on papaya and nectarine flavor. The crisp yet ripe fruit is followed up with bracing acidity that pierces its core and pushes through. No new oak here leaving the fruit to shine. Moderate length. Drinking Window 2025-2030. 88 points" Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous.com-----"Hand-harvested in this Raukawa vineyard acquired in late 2017 from Trinity Hill as a joint project with Pascal Jolivet of the Loire. Whole-bunch pressed Spontaneous fermentation and 100% barrel-fermentation in used French oak. 100% malo and 11 months’ maturation in barrel. The first Kumeu River vintage was 2018 but they reckon this is the best so far. Since acquiring the vineyard in 2018 they have been systematically replacing the Sauvignon Blanc vines, whose fruit is sold off, with Chardonnay. (Trinity Hill’s clone 95 Chardonnay planted in early 2005 is reckoned a bit too austere for the Rays Road bottling so goes into the Village bottling.) They may eventually release single-block Chardonnays.. Quite intense, bright fruit. Excellently aromatic. Almost pungent with a hint of putty. Lots of punchy fruit. Very complete with an appetising dry finish. (JR) 12.8%. Drink 2025 – 2033. 17 points." (JR) Jancisrobinson.com------"The Ray's Road vineyard is in Hawke's Bay, southeast of Auckland, on a north-facing slope at 180 meters above sea level. It is planted on limestone and dry-grown. The 2023 Rays Road Chardonnay is reductive, nutty and saline, with green inflections that highlight the solids in the wine. This is the most complex of the wines in this release, with curry leaf and saffron, sugar snap peas, green apple and caper brine in profusion, yet I feel it is also the most angular and the most obvious. Those seeking intensity of flavor will be attracted to this cuvée the most, for its intensity and depth, however it lacks the quiet focus of the other wines. 12.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink date 2024-33. 92 points" Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com------"A tight, focused and dense white. Sliced cooked apples, minerals and stone, with hints of dried mangoes. It’s medium-bodied and focused with a flavorful finish. Lime undertones. Drink or hold. 94 points." James Suckling, Aug '24 |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 5 cases | Lismore Estate - Cuvée Blanc Reserve | 75cl | £200 per case of 6 | Lismore Estate Cuvée Blanc Reserve 2023 / 5 cases / 75cl £200 per case of 6 |
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| WHITE | 2023 | Lismore Estate - Reserve Chardonnay | 75cl | £220 per case of 6 | Lismore Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2023 / / 75cl £220 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2023 Chardonnay Reserve comes from the estate. The juice was oxidatively handled and aged on the lees for 11 months in 500-liter barrels. This has a very complex bouquet with wild honey, orange pith and fine mineralité. It just soars from the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine delineation. It's tensile, focused and vibrant, with a precise and persistent finish. If there's a better Chardonnay from the Cape this vintage, I haven't tasted it. 96 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com |
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| WHITE | 2023 | Lismore Estate - Viognier 'Age of Grace' | 75cl | £110 per case of 6 | Lismore Estate Viognier 'Age of Grace' 2023 / / 75cl £110 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2023 Viognier The Age of Grace comes from several vineyards. It was made in an oxidative style, whole-bunch-pressed and aged in a mix of concrete eggs and multi-format oak. Delineated and focused, this takes time to open in the glass, unfurling with lemon curd and nectarine. The palate is very well balanced with a killer line of acidity. There's real tension and mineralité, so that it is almost Chenin-like on the finish. Excellent. 93 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com |
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| WHITE | 2023 | 5 cases | Lismore Estate - Viognier Estate Reserve | 75cl | £200 per case of 6 | Lismore Estate Viognier Estate Reserve 2023 / 5 cases / 75cl £200 per case of 6 |
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