Domaine Weinbach Alsace Théo Riesling
At the foot of the majestic Schlossberg hill, in a setting of vines and roses, the Domaine Weinbach "wine stream", named after the small stream that crosses it, was built in 1612 by the Capuchin monks. Sold as national property during the French Revolution, the Estate was acquired in 1898 by the Faller brothers who passed it on to their son and nephew Théo. A great figure in the Alsatian vineyard and ardent promoter of its recognition as an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, Théo Faller works for the quality of Alsace wines and the development of their incomparable terroirs and grape varieties. In love with his property, he develops it, enlarges it and embellishes it. From 1979, his wife Colette and his daughters Catherine and Laurence demonstrated the same passion for the great wines of Alsace and the same unfailing attachment to quality. Since 2016, Catherine Faller has been running the Domaine with her sons Eddy and Théo. Cuvée Théo Riesling comes exclusively from the monopole Le Clos des Capucins. The clos is well protected from winds by the surrounding hills and by the walls that enclose it. The soils consist of sand, alluvial pebbles and granitic gravel. Here, the low-cropping vines typically offer up a supple and pithy Riesling that is beautifully accessible when young - a reflection of these sandy soils. As per all Weinbach dry Rieslings, this was whole-bunch pressed, fermented without any yeast additions and matured in very old oak casks for 10 months. Biodynamic. It’s beautifully ripe yet crisp, with flawless clarity and vibrating citric freshness. Expect waves of crunchy citrus pith, florals and stone-fruit juiciness, excellent pulp and precision and driven compact length. Finishing on a mineral/umami note, this is a brilliant Riesling—arguably the most electric young Théo Riesling we have seen for some time. All class. Beautifully ripe yet crisp, with flawless clarity and vibrating citric freshness. Expect waves of crunchy citrus pith, florals and stone-fruit juiciness, excellent pulp and precision and driven compact length. Finishing on a mineral/umami note, this is a brilliant Riesling.
Mchenry Hohnen Hazel's Vineyard Chardonnay
Clonakilla Viognier
Clonakilla are famous for Viognier, but in two different guises. One as the compliment to the exceptional and etheral Shiraz Viognier that has catapulted Tim Kirk to winemaking fame around the world, the other as this wonderfully textured and veluptuous white wine. Full-bodied with potent honeysuckle, pear, ginger and apricot aromas.
Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz
This hand made wine is both complex and rewarding having no filtration prior to bottling to preserve the rich plum and spicy fruit flavours. All fruit was estate grown and sourced from low yielding, hand pruned and picked vines.
Robert Weil Riesling Trocken
This cuvée is a blend of fruit from high altitude Estate vineyards - including the brilliantly named Sandgrub vineyard - dotted around the village. There's a good dollop of Wasseros too, a fine vineyard which wraps around the Gräfenberg Grosse Lage. We've had some great bottles of this wine over the years, but few with the kind of horsepower on offer here. Racy and cool, with citrus and ripe stone fruit, yet balanced by fabulous, mouth-watering acidity; this is the sort of wine that will make Riesling lovers shudder with pleasure. Robert Weil doesn't make 'entry level' wines, as this clearly shows.
Grosset Piccadilly Chardonnay
Jeffrey Grosset is well known for his sublime and iconic Riesling's, but one should not forget his other brilliant white wine, the Piccadilly Chardonnay. From the Adelaide Hills, this luscious Chardonnay shows stone fruits and citrus on the palate with minerality and long finish. Superb!
Jim Barry The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon
This is the flagship Cabernet of the Jim Barry stable. Ripe black fruits combined with a beautifully distinct earth, leather aromas with hints of dried fruits and sweet mulch.
Shaw & Smith Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay
A fine-boned Chardonnay that reflects vintage conditions and the character of a unique vineyard site purchased by Shaw + Smith in 2012. Inaugural vintage: 2014. Planted in 1999, the vineyard has east and west facing aspects and reaches 500 meters above sea level. The soil is brown loam over clay with some broken shale and stone on the ridges. The wine is100% hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, then fermented and matured on lees in 500-litre French oak puncheons (30% new) for 9 months.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Bourgogne Aligote
Fraser Gallop Parterre Chardonnay
The wines of Fraser Gallop Estate are intensely flavoured, textured and complex. Only the finest quality French oak barrels are used for all Fraser Gallop Estate wines, with very specific Bordelais coopers used for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends, and Burgundian coopers for the Chardonnay. The complete winemaking process takes place at the estate - picking to vinification to barrel maturation to bottling to cellaring. Fraser Gallop Estate is an estate grown, produced and bottled wine. Flavours of lemon curd and grapefruit with searing length. A wine with clarity and finesse. A tightly focussed and very precise wine showing seamless fruit purity with the lightly toasted French oak very much in the background. Crystalline acidity and a mouth-watering finish complete this Chardonnay.
