Wirra Wirra Hiding Champion Sauvignon Blanc
Very pale with pristine clarity and flashes of green. Nose of passionfruit, gooseberry and freshly squeezed citrus dominate, followed by more subtle grassy, leafy notes and a touch of kafir lime. Wonderfully fresh and showing precise varietal fruits: tangy passionfruit, grapefruit and lemongrass. Long and punchy with great purity, line and a mouth-watering, lime-juice acidity. VineyardsSourced from Jeff Gowers Lenswood Vineyards, the sauvignon blanc plantings on gravelly clay loam over red clay subsoil date back to 1999. Vinification Handpicked grapes were destemmed, crushed and cooled to five degrees Celsius while being transferred to the airbag press. The juice was then pressed into stainless steel tank, keeping the free run and pressings separate. Juice was cold settled for a week at around two degrees and then racked from gross juice lees. The free-run juice parcel was warmed and inoculated with yeast to begin fermentation. Fermentation temperature was kept low to maintain delicate aromatics. Once fermentation was dry the wine was then chilled and stabilised prior to filtration and bottling Wirra Wirra was originally established in 1894 and though abandoned after several decades of production was revived by the late Greg Trott in 1969. The winery produces exceptional value, fruit driven wine styles that dont shy away from ripeness, intensity and oak usage. Wirra Wirra is located approximately four kilometres outside of the township of McLaren Vale in the McLaren Vale wine growing region of South Australia. Wirra Wirra source fruit from estate and selected grower vineyards. Wirra Wirra is the core range but the wines are delineated by tiers including Flagship wines, RGT collection, Church Block, Mrs Wrigley range and the entry level Scrubby Rise wines. The production of these wines is overseen by Chief Winemaker Paul Smith, with able assistance from Tom Ravech and Kelly Wellington. The winery employs modern technology and new world technique to produce expressive wines of intensity, bold flavour and McLaren Vale profile.
Sidewood Estate Pinot Gris
When making the 2013 Sidewood Pinot Gris, winemaker Tash Mooney carefully selects the best parcels of fruit from the vineyard that are hand-picked once the Pinot Gris has reached optimum Baume. It then begins its journey through the winery from being whole bunch pressed through to the fermentation process, ensuring at all times that the wines are at optimum temperatures to ascertain the quality of the wine. The 2013 Pinot Gris is pale straw with copper-pink hues, this wine displays vibrant aromas of guava and passionfruit on the nose. This leads to an intense flavour of nashi pear and tropical fruits on the palate with great structure from the crisp and well balanced acid. With its full structure, superb minerality and generous full mid palate it finishes with outstanding length and balance. A great accompaniment to freshly seared scallops, aromatic Thai spiced dishes or enjoy with a grilled vegetable cous cous as a vegetarian option.
Mr Riggs Mrs Pinot Gris
Tasting Note: Bright and textured with notes of pear and white peach complemented by delicate floral notes.
Sidewood Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2021 represents another stellar release from Sidewwod, the wine has piercingly pure tropical fruits set against crushed herbs on the nose and a palate that has intensity of fruit that is met in equal measure by crunchy, textural acidity. The fruit focuses on passionfruit, with a finely filamented citrus acidity bringing the wine to life and framing excellent length that lingers with boysenberry and subtle peppery green herbs. Drink: 2021-2023. Rating: 95/100. Trophy, Best Sauvignon Blanc, Perth Royal Wine Awards 2021 Gold, Perth Royal Wine Awards 2021 Gold, China Wine & Spirits Awards 2021
Tash Chardonnay
Bright straw colour with a watery hue. Lifted ripe peach and honeycomb aromas mix with crème brulee and spice notes. Rich and full the palate is blessed with ripe peach, honeycomb and crème brulee flavours. Some nougat and spice elements lie underneath. A creamy textural feel is counterpointed by measured acidity. Finishes long, ripe and round. Drink over the next 1-2 years. Alc. 12.9%
Shaw + Smith Riesling
A Riesling that is both delicate and textural. The 219 is expressive and more overt than other years, with wonderful flavours. The grapes were all hand picked. Half were whole bunch pressed and half were crushed and pressed, each fermented separately. The wine was blended and then spent four months on lees prior to bottling. Riesling Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They make wines exclusively from the Adelaide Hills, from varieties that suit the cooler climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own two vineyards, in Lenswood and Balhannah. Balhannah is also home to the winery where the Tasting Room is open daily. Shaw + Smiths first vintage was in 1990, and the early vintages were made at Wirra Wirra and Petaluma. In 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. In 2012 they purchased an established 20 hectare vineyard in Lenswood. As the business has grown Michael and Martin have built a formidable team to continue the evolution of Shaw + Smith, including Master of Wine David LeMire, Senior Winemaker Adam Wadewitz, Business Manager Grant Lovelock and Group Viticulturist Murray Leake.
Sidewood Chardonnay
Sitting high in the Adelaide Hills, Sidewood hand craft single vineyard wines of the utmost complexity. Their Chardonnay is made up of four French Chardonnay clones from the Ashwood vineyard and shows a crisp front palate with lifted layers of aromatic fruit. Each clone provides a unique flavour profile to the end result and delivers a wine displaying complex pear, peach & fig fruit flavours with some lovely nutmeg and sage spice notes.
Wirra Wirra The Lost Watch Riesling
Wirra Wirra The Lost Watch Riesling is individually handpicked which results in a truly stunning wine. Paul Smith has created an Adelaide Hills wonder here with intense lime juice, apple and mineral singing in unison reaching a crescendo on the finish.