SOCIETY AND EXHIBITION WINES - The Wine Society

SOCIETY AND 

EXHIBITION WINES 

Doing what it says on the label 

SESEP12 

thewinesociety.com/societyfamilies

Society label family 

The ethos behind our range 

We take great care and pride in selecting, 

and, in many cases, blending the wines 

that sport The Society’s livery. The brief for 

The Society range is to capture the 

authentic essence of popular wine regions 

and styles, and provide members with 

benchmark quality, consistency and 

outstanding value for money. Prices start 

at just £5.50 per bottle. Our Exhibition 

wines, most made exclusively for us by 

some of the world’s leading winemakers, 

express the greater complexity of 

premium vineyards and often lower yields. 

These bottles provide the perfect 

introduction to the fine wine regions of 

the world and are excellent bottles to 

enjoy whatever the occasion. Exhibition 

prices start at £8.95 per bottle. 

Translating the language of 

the label 

We use two different approaches to label 

design. Each Society label is different but 

belongs to a label “family”, reflecting the 

fact that wine is intertwined with, and 

symbolic of, the geographical, human and 

cultural associations of the region that 

produced it. For example, our Slade 

School of Fine Art-designed southern 

hemisphere labels combine wine and art, 

a long-standing association. For our 

Exhibition label, on the other hand, a 

single, classic design, under the umbrella 

of the Albert Hall, where The Society 

was founded, represents the pinnacle of 

our range. 

As with all families, there are nuclear and 

coherent groups, and some black sheep! 

Whatever the language of the label, our 

aim is that the wine in the bottle does 

exactly what it says on it. The wines in this 

offer speak for themselves, and a selection 

of mixed cases (throughout this offer) 

reflects the diversity of our home team. 

Toby Morrhall 

Society Buyer 

Contents 

Page 

Society label families 2–8 

Exhibition label family 9 

Mixed Cases 3, 4, 7, 10 

Bordeaux 

The graceful architecture of the magnificent 18th-century city of Bordeaux 

(a UNESCO world heritage site), reinforced by the images of the imposing 

châteaux that appear on most of the local wines, seems to mirror the harmony 

and classicism of the wines themselves. The well-proportioned red wines have an 

almost architectural sense of structure, built on the firm foundations of tannin. 

The labels of the sauvignon blanc and claret depict, respectively, Le Grand 

Theâtre and La Grosse Cloche in Bordeaux and the Saint-Emilion label shows a 

vista of the town (also a world heritage site). 

RED 

The Society’s Claret, Bordeaux 

Our authentic and immensely popular 

non-vintage claret, based on the merlot 

grape, comes from a very long-standing 

Society supplier, Maison Sichel, owners 

of Château Angludet. 13% 

ref SE-CL61 £6.25 bottle £75 dozen 

The Society’s Saint-Emilion 

Right-bank legend JP Moueix is the 

reassuring name behind this sylish 

Bordeaux, brimming with bright, supple 

red fruit and especially fragrant in this 

(2008) vintage. 13.5% 

ref SE-CL71 £10.95 bottle £131 dozen 

WHITE 

The Society’s Bordeaux 

◆ 

Sauvignon 

Fresh, ripe and focused, this unoaked 

sauvignon, from selected growers in the 

Entre-Deux-Mers, is a reminder that 

there is actually life for this grape beyond 

the Loire and New Zealand. 12% 

ref SE-BW4221 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 

FREE UK name-the-day 

delivery for all orders of 

at least 12 bottles or £75 

e 

2 

◆ Price reduced. See key on back page for details.

Burgundy & Beaujolais 


If Paris is France’s head, then Burgundy is its belly. We have chosen to depict some of the local foods and/or those which partner 

its wines. Both gastronomic and geological associations were involved in the selection of an oyster for the Chablis label. Chablis 

was once a sea and its limestone soils are made up of the fossilized shells and skeletons of sea creatures including exogyra virgula, 

a tiny comma-shaped oyster. Gastronomically, the crisp acidity of a Chablis is the antidote to the salt of the oyster, the delicate 

flavour of which is respected by the wine’s restrained personality. 

The poulet de Bresse struts its stuff on the Beaujolais label. This patriotic breed’s red coxcomb, blue feet and white plumage 

mirror the colours of the tricolore, the French flag. The Bresse plain adjoins the Beaujolais region, and bird and wine come 

together on the table in the regional speciality of coq au vin. 

RED 

The Society’s Beaujolais-Villages 

A blend of different villages, assembled to 

deliver the vivacious summer-pudding 

flavours and natural juiciness of the gamay 

grape, underpinned by Haut-Beaujolais 

grip, and bolstered by a run of outstanding 

harvests. 12.5% 

ref SE-BJ4601 £6.75 bottle £81 dozen 

The Society’s Red Burgundy 

A light, restrained pinot, sourced for The 

Society by the Cave des Vignerons de Buxy. 

The delicate and refreshing balance of fruit 

and acidity is authentically Burgundian: for 

a sweeter, richer expression of the grape, 

we recommend The Society’s Chilean pinot 

noir, overleaf. 12.5% 

ref SE-BU9031 £8.25 bottle £99 dozen 

WHITE 

The Society’s White Burgundy, 

Mâcon-Villages 

Our best-selling wine is precision-blended 

by buyer Marcel Orford-Williams and local 

oenologist Jean-Marc Darbon to reflect the 

ripeness, natural acidity and creamy flavour 

of good chardonnay. Unoaked. 13% 


The Society’s Chablis 

Concentrated, mineral and strictly unoaked, 

this is fine, understated, minimalist Chablis, 

from the Brocards of Préhy. 12.5% 


Society Label 

French Classics 

ref SE-MX125139 at £89 

Equivalent bottle price £7.42 

A 12-bottle case containing two 

bottles of each of the following: 

Red 


The Society’s Red Burgundy 


Whites 



The Society’s Chablis 

The Society’s Bordeaux Sauvignon 

To order thewinesociety.com/societyfamilies ☎ 01438 740222 smartphone app 

3


Chile 

Shut off from the rest of the world, Chile, bordered by the Pacific to the west, the Andes to the east, the Atacama desert 

to the north and the Patagonian glaciers to the south, has defied the worldwide burrowing progress of the vine louse phylloxera. 

Its isolation has also developed unique flora, including the monkey-puzzle trees and fuchsias depicted on the labels. The 

bold, confident flavours of its wines are reflected in the bright colours of the labels. Chile’s wonderfully varied climate 

means it is successful with many grape varieties with differing climatic requirements. Each wine comes from a region 

(Rapel, Maipo, Leyda and Limarí) that has developed a special quality for the grape variety from which it is made. 

The Society’s range of Chilean wines was voted the country’s finest by The International Wine Challenge 

2011, for the fourth time. 

RED 

The Society’s Chilean Merlot, 

Rapel Valley 

Sourced for The Society by Concha y Toro, 

Chile’s largest, and most quality-conscious 

enterprise, this is ripe, fleshy, plummy Rapel 

merlot, barrique-matured for eight months. 

A 2012 Society Wine Champion. 14% 

ref SE-CE1511 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 

The Society’s Chilean Cabernet 

Sauvignon, Maipo Valley 

An elegant, cedary, cassis-scented 

cabernet from Maipo, the ‘Bordeaux 

of South America’, blended by buyer 

Toby Morrhall and leading Chilean 

winemaker Ignacio Recabarren and 

matured in oak barriques. 14% 


The Society’s Chilean Pinot Noir, 

Leyda Valley 

From cool, coastal Leyda Valley, a perfect 

spot for this variety, a vivid, black-cherry 

scented, barrel-aged pinot, made for 

The Society by Viña Leyda. 14% 


WHITE 

The Society’s Chilean 

Chardonnay, Limarí Valley 

Concha winemakers Ignacio Recabarren 

and Marcelo Papa fashioned this exhilarating 

chardonnay from typically bright, citrusy 

Limarí fruit, rounded out with 10% 

barrel-fermented wine. A 2012 Society 

Wine Champion. 14% 


The Society’s Chilean Sauvignon 

◆ 

Blanc, Leyda Valley 

Grown just eight miles from the Pacific 

Ocean, this is a showstopping Viña Leyda 

sauvignon, fresh, breezy and bristling 

with gooseberry and elderflower flavours. 

13.5% 



South American 

Selection 

ref SE-MX125140 at £79 




Reds 


Rapel Valley 

The Society’s Chilean Cabernet 

Sauvignon, Maipo Valley 


Leyda Valley 

The Society’s Argentine Malbec 

Whites 

The Society’s Chilean Chardonnay, 

Limarí Valley 

The Society’s Chilean Sauvignon 

Blanc, Leyda Valley 

4 

◆ Price reduced. See key on back page for details.

New World 

Labels by Slade School of Fine Art 


The Wine Society and the Slade School of 

Fine Art held a competition, the winners 

of which had their labels printed and 

applied to our wines. The more abstract 

approach chosen by many of the students 

perhaps reflects the lack of constraints 

and tradition that has led to the brave 

new world embodying a more scientific 

and technical approach to wine than the 

old, and which unleashed a shock of 

hitherto unknown intense, clean, startlingly 

fruity aromas. They championed grape 

varieties by name, frequently unknown by 

consumers of the classic European 

regions, and made precise wines in 

spotlessly clean, temperature-controlled 

stainless-steel vats. But extremes are rarely 

a good idea, and these new world wines 

have evolved, tempering the tropical fruit 

and trimming the excess alcohol and new 

oak, and are now still precise and 

focused, but more enjoyable than ever. 

These changes were mirrored in the old 

world’s wines too, which improved when 

better cellar hygiene and cleaner, newer 

wood allowed the product of their 

excellent viticulture to shine more clearly 

and brightly. 

RED 

◆The Society’s Australian 

Shiraz-Cabernet 

A smooth and richly peppery blend from 

Bleasdale’s historic winery in Langhorne 

Creek, South Australia. 14% 

The £11 dozen saving is thanks to 

supplier support. 

ref SE-AU7771 £7.50 bottle 

£79 special dozen price 

£6.58 equivalent bottle price 

The Society’s Argentine Malbec 

Made for us by Susana Balbo, one of 

Argentina’s greatest winemakers, this is a 

typically rich, though never jammy, 

Mendoza malbec infused with spicy, but 

subtle oak. 13.5% 

ref SE-AR1301 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen 

◆The Society’s Pinotage, Eilandia 

From Bon Cap’s organic vineyards in 

Robertson in the Western Cape, this 

pinotage may be relished when young and 

fruity, or kept while its part-pinot noir 

parentage imbues the wine with spicier 

flavours. 13.5% 

ref SE-SA6881 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen 

WHITE 

The Society’s Unoaked 

Australian Chardonnay 

The ripe, exotic flavours of cool-fermented 

McLaren Vale chardonnay, strictly selected by 

buyer Pierre Mansour and the Wirra Wirra 

team, shine here unencumbered by oak. 

12.5% 

ref SE-AU15001 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 

The Society’s South African 

Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch 

From estate-grown, old vines at Villiera, near 

Stellenbosch, gently rounded and honeyed 

and fresh on the palate. 13.5% 

ref SE-SA7851 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 

The Society’s New Zealand 

◆ 

Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 

Produced for us by Villa Maria, this is classic 

Kiwi sauvignon with ripe gooseberry fruit 

and crisp finish. 13% 

ref SE-NZ6111 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen 





5


Singletons 

These two lovely wines are not part of 

the extended families in our range. 

Indeed, the Consejo Regulador of Rioja 

actually forbids its wines from being part 

of a range! The Society’s Rioja is made in 

the traditional style to offer the soft, 

mature, leather and tobacco aromas of 

tempranillo mingled with the scent of 

vanilla from ageing in American oak 

barrels. There are few traditional wines 

produced like this example, and virtually 

nothing like it at the price. 

Good yardstick Côtes-du-Rhône, such 

as The Society’s, is about blending 

complementary elements to produce a 

delicious whole. Its appeal is all about 

generosity of flavour and fullness of 

body; a wine equivalent to ratatouille, a 

natural culinary partner from Provence. 

The Society’s Côtes-du-Rhône 

Drawn from vineyards on both banks of 

the Rhône and made principally from the 

grenache grape, this is deliciously round 

and fruity. 14% 

ref SE-RH101 £6.25 bottle £75 dozen 

◆The Society’s Rioja Crianza 

A new vintage of this very traditional Rioja, 

still from Bodegas Palacio near Laguardia in 

the Rioja Alavesa, still concentrated and 

juicy, and still a steal for the money. 13.5% 

ref SE-SP7111 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen 




Fruits & Flow 

These are modest, yet attractive wines, 

offering clean, fresh aromas and 

flavours of flowers and fruit, reflected 

in the design on the label. 

RED 

The Society’s French Full Red, Vin 

de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 

The 60-member Cases de Pène 

Co-operative in the Roussillon has access to 

some exceptional old carignan, which, 

with grenache, is at the heart of this 

smooth, full-bodied red assembled by 

Society Buyer Marcel Orford-Williams. 

14% 

ref SE-FC371 £5.50 bottle £66 dozen 

The Society’s Spicy Australian Red 

This shiraz-rich red, generously fruity, 

succulent and full, is made for The Society 

by the Bleasdale team in South Australia’s 

warm Langhorne Creek region. 14.5% 

The £12 dozen saving is thanks to 

supplier support. 

ref SE-AU9791 £6.95 bottle 

£71 special dozen price 


6 To order thewinesociety.com/societyfamilies ☎ 01438 740222 smartphone app

Italy 


Italy’s long history of winemaking is hinted at by the Roman mosaics motif on 

the border of these labels. Italy is right at the deep end of the European gene 

pool of grape varieties with a remarkable number of indigenous varieties. 

Verdicchio is broad and full, like chardonnay, but with its own nuance and 

deserves to be better known. Montepulciano has a satisfying richness and 

fullness which sets it apart from the simpler, bitter-cherry flavour of some of 

Italy’s varieties. Chianti’s sangiovese, grown in the Tuscan hills, has a refreshing 

palate which stands up to, and matches, food in a way that overripe wines 

cannot. The interloper pinot grigio is of Burgundian origin, but is made here in 

a light, refreshing style that is typically Italian and food friendly. 

rs 

ROSÉ 

The Society’s Rosé, Pays d’Oc 

IGP 

A fruity, refreshingly dry Languedoc syrah, 

sourced by long-standing Society supplier 

Bésinet, and assembled by Marcel 

Orford-Williams at the family domaine in 

Vias. 12.5% 


WHITE 

The Society’s French Dry White 

A dry, fresh, zesty blend, principally of 

sauvignon blanc, with added roussanne 

and viognier for depth and fragrance, 

sourced, like the rosé above, by the Bésinet 

team and Society-blended. 12.5% 


RED 

The Society’s Montepulciano 

d’Abruzzo 

From the Roxan Co-operative, this 

delightfully fruity, full-flavoured red has 

been a conspicuous success with 

members and remains excellent value 

for money. 13% 

ref SE-IT2471 £5.75 bottle £69 dozen 

The Society’s Chianti Rufina 

Our supplier is the Grati family, owners 

of prime vineyards overlooking the Sieve 

river, south-east of Florence. This is 

stylish Rufina in the modern style, dry, 

soft and slightly smoky. 12.5% 


WHITE 

The Society’s Verdicchio 

This single-vineyard verdicchio, from 

leading producer Monte Schiavo, 

showcases this great Italian white grape 

at its crisp, concentrated lemony best. 

12.5% 


The Society’s Pinot Grigio 

◆ 

A dry, abundantly fruity and authentic 

example of pinot grigio from the 

Lorenzon family in Friuli. 13% 


Society Label Flavours of Italy 

ref SE-MX125141 at £79 


A 12-bottle case containing three bottles of each of the four wines listed above. 

◆ Price reduced. See key on back page for details. 

7

Sparkling and Champagne 


We are delighted to promote the incredibly popular Sumarroca Cava to Society label status. This newest addition to the range 

joins the oldest: we have been buying our Champagne from Alfred Gratien since 1906. 

NEW The Society’s Reserva 

Brut, Cava 

This fragrant, appley Cava, from the 

Sumarroca family estate in Penedès, spends 

30 months on its lees for an extra layer of 

flavour. A dash of chardonnay adds panache 

to the traditional parellada, macabeo and 

xarel-lo blend. 11.5% 

ref SE-SG1581 £7.50 bottle £90 dozen 

The Society’s Celebration 

Crémant de Loire 

This bone-dry, chardonnay-rich 

bottle-fermented Loire sparkler is made for 

us by Gratien & Meyer in Saumur. 12% 

ref SE-SG1571 £10.95 bottle £131 dozen 

The Society’s Champagne, Brut 

Equal parts chardonnay and pinot 

meunier with a little pinot noir, and 

plenty of bottle age, made for The Society 

for over a century by the House of Gratien. 

A 2012 Society Wine Champion. 12.5% 

Half-dozen saving of £27.00 

ref SE-CH331 £27 bottle 

£135 6 for 5 price 


Sherry 

The labels depict the serried ranks of butts in the cool, dark ambiance of the bodegas, well described as ‘cathedrals of wine’. 

The roofs soar many metres above the barrels to keep the Andalusian sun at bay. Curious chalk marks indicate the quality and 

number of the barrels that belong to a particular solera. Sánchez Romate produces our wines. The secret of the great quality of 

our Fino, a 2012 Society Wine Champion despite being the cheapest wine in its blind-tasted group, is that we now select 

individual barrels for our bottling. The growth of the flavour-giving flor yeast varies in each one, giving rise to a wide variation in 

quality and style, and we pick the best. 

The Society’s Fino Sherry 

Our Fino is sourced from Sánchez 

Romate and is, we think, superior to the 

previous wine. Appley scent with 

excellent depth of flavour. Now with a 

screwcap to preserve the freshness better. 

A 2012 Society Wine Champion. 15% 

ref SE-SH571 £5.75 bottle £69 dozen 

Litre of The Society’s 

Amontillado Sherry 

A medium-dry Sherry packed with a rich, 

nutty flavour. 17.5% 

ref SE-SH381 £8.50 litre bottle £102 dozen 


8

Exhibition 

EXHIBITION label family 

Our Exhibition label features the Albert Hall. Its name derives from our full name ‘The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine 

Society Limited’, thankfully usually shortened to ‘The Wine Society’, and celebrates the origin of our foundation after one of the 

Great Victorian Exhibitions of food and wine in the Albert Hall in 1874. 

This superior range comprises wines of greater quality and personality, made from superior grapes often grown in specific locations, 

from low yields, where the match of grape variety, soil, exposition and climate produce exceptional examples of their type. The range 

is constantly monitored, refined and updated, and if a new vintage does not meet the standard the wine is withdrawn. 

REDS 

NEW The Society’s Exhibition 

Morgon, Côte du Py, 2010 

A unique cuvée, created for The Society 

by blending selected tanks from three 

growers in this most sérieux of Beaujolais 

crus. Rich and sappy, mouth filling and 

full bodied, and with the benefit of more 

than a year in bottle, perfectly ready and 

delicious. Now to 2018. 13% 

ref SE-BJ5371 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen 

The Society’s Exhibition 

Crozes-Hermitage, 2009 

A perfect vintage and the Tain l’Hermitage 

co-operative, one of the smartest in France, 

join forces to create this exceptional 

northern Rhône syrah. Rich, ripe and spicy 

with a long, satisfying finish, it will keep, 

too. Now to 2016. 13% 


†The Society’s Exhibition 

Vacqueyras, 2010 

Vacqueyras, in the southern Rhône-villages, 

earned cru status in 1990. This delicious 

example from Domaine Le Clos des 

Cazaux focuses on ripeness and charm, 

rather than raw power. Now to 2018. 14% 


†The Society’s Exhibition 

Haut-Médoc, 2008 

Château Beaumont makes this elegant 

claret for us. Fragrant and more structured 

than the 2007, it is more than accessible 

now, but will keep until 2018. 13% 

ref SE-CM15021 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen 

◆The Society’s Exhibition Rioja 

Reserva, 2006 

Aged for five years before release, two 

years longer than the law requires, our 

Exhibition Reserva Rioja is made by none 

other than La Rioja Alta, one of the 

regions’s most iconic bodegas, and 

producers of fine Rioja in the traditional 

style. Now to 2016. 13.5% 

ref SE-SP7121 £12.50 bottle £150 dozen 


Monthélie, Domaine Louis Jadot, 

2009 

New to the range this year, this fragrant, 

fine-boned red Burgundy, with the extra 

ripeness of the 2009 vintage, comes from 

Jadot’s own vines in Monthélie, a village 

which borders Volnay and whose wines it 

resembles. Now to 2016. 13% 


WHITE 


Riesling, 2009 

The dry, gastronomic Alsace approach 

to riesling makes it a classic contender 

for an Exhibition label. This poised, 

concentrated example comes from the 

biodynamic vines of Domaine Josmeyer 

at Wintzenheim, near Colmar. Now to 

2016. 12.5% 

ref SE-AL8591 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen 

NEW The Society’s Exhibition 

Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons, 

Jean-Marc Brocard, 2010 

This stood out in a line up of lovely 

premiers crus from the high-quality 

2010 vintage so we selected it for the 

Exhibition label. Showing off Chablis’ 

typical attributes of a broad palate with 

steely acidity, this is delicious. No oak. 

A gold-medal winner at the 

International Wine Challenge 

2012.12.5% 

ref SE-BU51001 £16 bottle £192 dozen 




7/8 

Open to 

reveal Italy 

and more 

To order thewinesociety.com/societyfamilies ☎ 01438 740222 smartphone app 9

MIXED CASES 

Society Label Reds 

ref SE-MX125143 at £75 




The Society’s Rioja Crianza 




The Society’s Australian 

Shiraz-Cabernet 

The Society’s Montepulciano 

d’Abruzzo 


Whites 

ref SE-MX125144 at £79 






The Society’s Unoaked Australian 

Chardonnay 



The Society’s Verdicchio 

The Society’s South African 

Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch 


The Society Label 

Dozen 

ref SE-MX125145 at £79 


A 12-bottle case containing a bottle 

of each of the following: 

Red 


Rapel Valley 

The Society’s Spicy Australian Red 

The Society’s French Full Red, Vin 

de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 

The Society’s Rioja Crianza 




Leyda Valley 

White 




The Society’s Chilean 

Chardonnay, Limarí Valley 



The Society’s Pinot Grigio 

See pages 3, 4 & 7 

for more mixed cases 

The Exhibition 

Label Case 

ref SE-MX125142 at £69 

A six-bottle case containing a 

bottle of each of the following: 

Red 

The Society’s Exhibition Morgon, 

Côte du Py, 2010 


Haut-Médoc, 2008 

The Society’s Exhibition Rioja 

Reserva, 2006 


Crozes-Hermitage, 2009 

White 

The Society’s Exhibition Riesling, 

2009 

The Society’s Exhibition Chablis 

Premier Cru Vaillons, Jean-Marc 

Brocard, 2010 

KEY 

See page 144 of the July to September List 

for full details on alcohol levels 

bone dry, to intensely sweet 

Synthetic closure Screwcap closure 

† New vintage 

◆ Price reduced 

The price of this wine has been reduced in 

our July-September List along with more than 

100 others. For more information, please visit 

thewinesociety.com/julypricereductions 

FREE UK name-the-day delivery 

The Society is offering FREE name-the-day carrier deliveries for orders of at least 12 bottles, Society pre-mixed cases or where 

the value exceeds £75. These deliveries allow members to nominate the weekday they would like to receive their wines. 

Previous charge £3. See thewinesociety.com/nametheday or call 01438 741177 for full details. 

This offer is open until Sunday 30th September, 2012 while stocks last. 


Uncork with confidence: The Society’s promise 

As a mutual organisation, members’ pleasure is paramount. If, for any reason, you haven’t enjoyed a wine we want to hear about it 

and will happily offer a credit, a replacement or a refund as appropriate. For conditions please see thewinesociety.com/promise 

twitter.com/TheWineSociety societygrapevine.com facebook.com/TheWineSociety thewinesociety.com/app 

The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited. 

Registered Office: Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2BT 

Register Number: 1824R (IP) 

Website thewinesociety.com 

Enquiries 01438 741177 

Orders 01438 740222

SOCIETY AND EXHIBITION WINES - The Wine Society

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