The best

• red wine
• white wine
• champagne
• rosé
• whisky
• spirits
• beer

deals in Australia

GEORGES LAVAL Cumieres 1er Cru Brut Nature, Champagne

Founded just before the French Revolution in 1785 by Florens-Louis Heidsieck, Heidsieck & Co Monopole is the original Heidsieck House and the 4th oldest Champagne house in the region. Delicate nose that opens with a scent of stewed yellow fruits (apricot, quince), enhanced by light notes of acacia and honey. Very long and fresh on the palate with notes of ripe fruit and candied lemon, embellished with slightly buttered pastry notes.

Founded by Edmond De Ayala in 1860, the House Ayala possesses a remarkable history, rooted in the visionary spirit that resonates with its melodious name from distant lands. The name Ayala appears almost serendipitous, intricately tailored for the village of Aÿ, where the House has proudly stood since its inception. Edmond De Ayala, an inquisitive and bold personality, consistently pursued the path less travelled. Vibrant with the essence of excellence and a spirit of adventure, the House of Ayala continues to be inspired by the indomitable founder who paved its way. In contrast to the prevailing French tradition of dosage, which exceeded 150 g/L during that era, Edmond De Ayala took a bold and audacious move by unveiling "dry champagne" in 1865, with a mere 21 g/L dosage. As a true pioneer, he possessed a discerning vision to revolutionize the Champagne landscape by introducing a drier style, which has created a profound impact to the modern world. Through bespoke craftsmanship, House Ayala employs a tailored approach, working with a diverse selection of crus to achieve the utmost balance and skilfully express the exceptional terroir surrounding Chardonnay, the house's emblematic grape variety. Champagne Ayala relentlessly pursues the finest raw materials from the Champagne region and currently boasts a palette of 70 crus, with 50 of them dedicated to Chardonnay. These crus are sourced from the most esteemed terroirs of Champagne. This remarkable diversity, a distinctive feature of the house, contributes to the complexity and vibrant aromatic freshness found in their blends. The house maintains 20 hectares of their own vineyards, situated in esteemed locations such as the Montagne de Reims, encompassing Aÿ Grand Cru and Dizy, as well as the Côte des Blancs, including Chouilly and Oger, both classified as Grands Crus. Additionally, they have vineyards in Champvoisy and Passy-Grigny in the Vallée de la Marne. With an unwavering commitment to pure expression of the raw materials, Champagne Ayala is transitioning their vineyards to organic viticulture and has obtained HEV and VDC certifications. The House consistently fosters trusting relationships with winegrowers and supports them in their environmental endeavours. Rosé Majeur embodies the refinement of AYALA champagnes. Chardonnay, the emblematic grape variety of the House, for the most part, brings freshness and finesse to this blended rosé, composed of 24 exceptional crus. When it comes to blending and vinification, nothing is left to chance. The Pinots Noirs, originating from the best crus on the Montagne de Reims, are handled here with emphasis on fruit rather than structure. Rosé Majeur is primarily a sweet treat, with a subtle dosage. The delicate notes arise from the red wine, added to the blend in a small amount. This still wine is elaborated exclusively from the Pinot Noir of Aÿ, a Grand cru characterized by the legendary generosity of its fruit. The low dosage, a trademark of the House, here underlines the beautiful freshness and elegance of a great rosé blend. Comprised of 51% Chardonnay 39% Pinot Noir 10% Meunier. It gets Ayala's trademark low dosage (just 6g/L) underscoring the beautiful freshness and fruit definition of this rosé blend. It's pale, light yet expressive. Brilliant, due to the high proportion of chardonnay in the blend. The notes of red gooseberries and raspberries, finishes lengthy and voluptuous owed to the 3 years on lees. Nose - Charming, Small Red Fruits, Flint Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne flavours of strawberry and red cherry, with flint and background bready character. Palate - Voluptuous, Smooth, Fresh Buoyant and expressive, creamy mousse delivering beautiful freshness, notes of red currants and raspberries. Finish - Persistent, Crunchy Fruit, Minerals Persistent flavours in the finish. From crisp vine peach to crunchy red fruits, with a pleasing bitterness and phenolic chew.

Product Description: Pale gold with delicate golden hues, signs of elegance and maturity. Exceptional brilliance. Very fine effervescence. Remarkably elegant, the first nose is discreet and very fresh. The first notes are floral and sweet, reminiscent of honeysuckle and acacia flower. As the wine opens up, it reveals fruitier nuances of dried figs and also frangipane. The Pinot Noir asserts itself after a few seconds with aromas of violet and blueberry. Very straight and exceptionally mineral, the structure of the wine is velvety, reminiscent of Champagne chalk. The balance is perfect. Notes of lime blossom and flaked almonds mingle with the fig aromas detected on the nose. A sign of great maturity after more than twelve years of ageing in the cellars, hints of toasted bread add complexity to this cuvee. The finish is a perfect balance between tension and gourmandize through a dash of pink grapefruit. It was a must for Pommery not to miss out on one of the greatest vintages of champagne. 2009 is a worth vintage indeed. After a difficult summer, nature succeeded in aligning its stars and allowed us to have an exceptional harvest. Sourced exclusively from grands crus, with exceptional ageing potential, slowly brought to maturity in the freshness of our 18 kilometres of galleries, it is necessary to wait to taste a Pommery vintage at its optimum: the precise moment when all the components are in harmony and when maturity, freshness and complexity come together. The moment is now for the 2009 vintage. Maker: In 1858, Madame Pommery took over as head of Pommery & Greno after the death of her husband. She based the expansion of her House on the creation of wines unlike any others, with one constant demand: quality pushed to the extreme. In matters of taste she was ahead of her time. It was she who created Pommery Nature in 1874, the first brut champagne to meet with commercial success, thereby breaking with the tradition of very sweet wine. A woman in a man’s world, she imprinted her personality on her champagnes. Vineyard: Champagne Pommery is made of grapes from the 300 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards on the Montagne de Reims and the Côtes de Blancs. The harvested grapes undergo fermentation in the winery’s vat - which is situated right behind the Pommery cellars. After fermentation, the different wines are blended by the cellar master, Clement Pierloto, to give Champagne the signature Pommery aroma and flavour. Pommery cellars are one of the finest in Reims where their Champagne bottles mature at 10 degree Celsius. The chalk in the cellars retain humidity during summers and heat during winters. Today Pommery aims to make its vineyard sustainable. In fact, the winery is transforming into an eco-friendly brand with the help of Thierry Gasco, the winery’s cellar master. Under his guidance, Pommery went on to become the first wine house to achieve an ISO 14001 environmental certificate in 1996. Moreover, Vranken Pommery Monopole has been awarded ‘Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne’ and ‘High Environmental Value’ since 2014. Vranken Pommery employs organic viticulture in all their vineyards in Camargue and Provence. Tasting: Nose - Floral, Acacia Flower, Dried Fig Remarkably elegant, the first nose is discreet and very fresh. The first notes are floral and sweet, reminiscent of honeysuckle and acacia flower. As the wine opens up, it reveals fruitier nuances of dried figs and also frangipane. The Pinot Noir asserts itself after a few seconds with aromas of violet and blueberry. Palate - Linear, Velvety, Flaked Almonds Very straight and exceptionally mineral, the structure of the wine is velvety, reminiscent of Champagne chalk. The balance is perfect. Notes of lime blossom and flaked almonds mingle with the fig aromas detected on the nose. A sign of great maturity after more than twelve years of ageing in the cellars, hints of toasted bread add complexity to this cuvee. Finish - Tension, Balanced, Pink Grapefruit The finish is a perfect balance between tension and gourmandize through a dash of pink grapefruit. Review: Brilliant golden yellow. Delicate, multi-layered bouquet of fresh apple tart, acacia blossom and a hint of summer herbs, lemon curd and dried fig. Taut, mineral-influenced palate with lively mousse and depth of extract, very densely woven structure with a polished acid mantle. Full-bodied, invigorating finish of tobacco savouriness and lemon confit. Wonderfully mature - Falstaff