By
CultX Team
With thousands of incredible fine wines available through CultX, our experts will regularly explore the available offers and highlight some of the best buys for pure vinous pleasure.
This edition, we’ve found some compelling opportunities, from New World Pinots to age-worthy Rioja. Read on to discover what our experts have selected:
A member of a WhatsApp wine group summed it up perfectly this week when referencing the Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva: ‘Brilliant wine for the price’.
In an era of ever-increasing fine wine prices, Rioja – particularly the Reserva from Rioja Alta – offers incredible value for money.
Take this example: a 1997 vintage, nearly 30 years old, scored 94 points by RobertParker.com, and currently available at £360 for a 6-pack. That’s £60 per bottle in bond, or approximately £75 on your dinner table in the UK.
Recent reviews on CellarTracker have consistently rated it 92–93 points over the past 12–18 months. One recent reviewer commented:
"The 1997 was sublime. Perfect, perfect, perfect. It shows what these babies can do if given the time. Ethereal, as one of our members described it." Another simply said: "1997 perfect, I agree!"
I was fortunate to taste an ex-cellar 1997 Rioja recently, and it absolutely blew me and my dining partner away. We approached it with modest expectations, but the maturity, balance, delicacy, complexity, and persistence left us both wondering – why don’t we drink more aged Rioja?
Given the quality and price point of the 1997 La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva, this looks like a superb opportunity.
Large formats are more fun, right? This double magnum, offered at £399, immediately caught my eye. For your next hosting or special occasion, what better way to impress than bringing a 3-litre bottle to the table for your guests to enjoy?
The 2005 vintage of The Factor from Torbreck drew my attention because of the critical acclaim and high scores it has received (97 points from The Wine Advocate). With 20 years of age behind it, this would be an absolute treat to open and savour with friends over several hours.
RobertParker.com put it best:
"The wine is beautifully integrated with enough well-concealed tannin to keep this wine evolving for a decade. The pure finish lingers for 60+ seconds to complete the experience of a totally hedonistic turn-on. Torbreck, under the leadership of owner/winemaker David Powell, remains a Barossa Valley benchmark as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates."
£400 for a 20-year-old, small-production, single-vineyard Shiraz from one of Australia’s best producers in a rare large format with a 97-point score? That certainly ticks all the boxes for me.
The lesser-known white wine from the Super Tuscan producer Ornellaia, Poggio alle Gazze, is a curious blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, and Viognier. If you’re a fan of Italian whites and haven’t tried this yet, I highly recommend it.
It’s a very showy, exotic, and exuberant wine with a floral nose that immediately captivates. There’s real depth and complexity, with rich fruit, a touch of spice, and plenty of freshness. Its cooler coastal location imparts a perfect balance between the wine’s vibrant profile and its refreshing coolness.
This would make a spectacular food wine, with enough depth to pair with most dishes. It would be especially appealing alongside fresh seafood or oysters on a warm day.
At just £40 per bottle in bond (or £240 per 6-pack on the platform), this feels like excellent value for a wine of such pedigree and quality. Scored 92 points by The Wine Advocate.
When it comes to bargains in the fine wine world, not many come as gift-wrapped as this one. Let me describe it, and you guess the price: a 7-year-old New World Pinot Noir, scored 97 points by The Wine Advocate, founded by a member of the Sassicaia family, a former winner of James Suckling’s Wine of the Year, and described by one esteemed critic:
"I nearly fell off my chair when I first put my nose in the glass of the 2017 Cincuenta y Cinco. I cannot remember such balance and elegance in a wine from Chacra before."
Currently on offer for less than £30 per bottle in bond, this wine will not only satisfy Burgundy lovers but also provide an exceptional representation of Pinot Noir for those seeking alternatives to Burgundy prices.
Is Bordeaux expensive? Common consensus would say yes, but the offers on CultX tell a different story. Right now, there are 22 live offers priced between £10–£20 per bottle, providing incredible drinking pleasure and good cellar potential, with scores ranging from 90 to 95 points.
One standout is the second wine of Château Haut-Bailly, Haut-Bailly II. This crept onto my radar after a recent visit to the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in London, where it was listed at £159 per bottle.
On CultX, it’s available for just £95 for a case of six. Yes, that’s right – with duty, VAT, and delivery included, you’re looking at £150 to have six bottles delivered to your home. That’s less than the price of one bottle at the Harwood Arms!
But it’s not just about the price. The wine speaks for itself. Here’s the tasting note:
"Composed of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 60% Merlot, the 2019 Haut-Bailly II has bright black cherries, blackberry preserves, and wild blueberries with hints of lavender, tilled soil, and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers chewy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with muscular, mouth-coating black and blue fruits."
Looking for more Bordeaux bargains? Here’s a selection of standout options available now on CultX:
Note: The wines featured were available as offers on CultX at the time of publication.
*Past performance is not indicative of future success; the performance was calculated in GBP and will vary in other currencies. Any investment involves risk of partial or full loss of capital.
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