Any price
The Standish Shiraz
Rockford Rod & Spur Shiraz - Cabernet
Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir
Founded by Steve Planthaber, originally from Adelaide but post school left for the South Island of New Zealand. A move to Marlborough with his partner Kirsty Sutherland cemented his love for all things wine. Hard not to be inspired when meeting the Sutherland’s who were one of the pioneers of viticulture in the region, part of the original success of Cloudy Bay followed by establishing their own estate Dog Point. Steve was keen to find his own path and after 12 years running the production and operations at Cloudy Bay decided to begin his own wine brand, Settlement. Settlement, named after the stunning Amphitheatre single vineyard site in the Omaka Valley, is dedicated entirely to the production of organic, old vine single vineyard expressions of very special sites in Marlborough. Doesn’t get any more Southern Valley than this site, right in the Omaka Valley. High density of clay in this soil, lots of very good Pinot Noir sites in this sub-region. The Settlement Vineyard is the youngest of the 4 sites, planted in 2009 but a beautiful amphitheater, steep hillside vineyard, 4000 vines per hectare so high density plantings. North/North West facing. Hand picked/sorted, 70% destemmed/30% wholebunch. Short pre soak then wild fermented in tank, Pressed to barrel then aged for 18 months in French oak, 35% new. Francois Freres and Mercurey Oak. Complex, youthful, pure and fresh. Aromas and flavours of dark red cherry and fruit spices, there’s mineral rock and stone quality, plum and black currant. Delicious on the poalate, but still very youthful, a taut texture driven my tannins and acidity, but cushioned by a core of fruit that collectively will see this wine age well. Dry and lengthy on the finish with flavours that mirror the bouquet. Best drink from 2024 through 2034. Excellent. - Cameron Douglas MW, 94 Points
Torbreck The Kyloe Mataro
Torbreck is a winery on a mission to become one of the world's great wine brands. Since 1994, they have remained committed to creating exceptional Rhone-style red and white wines that reflect the very best vineyards in Australia's famous Barossa region. Provenance is everything to them, and they believe that the Barossa is the most exciting place to make wine in the world. With a European sense of tradition, Torbreck pays tribute to the vineyards with minimal intervention, creating wines of richness, structure and length that age gracefully. The multi-generational growers, whose descendants arrived here nearly two centuries ago, are the backbone of Torbreck's winemaking aspirations. They work in partnership with the people of the Barossa who grow their fruit, always aiming to get the very best out of their vineyard sites. At Torbreck, they constantly seek to understand the difference between all of these special places in the Barossa and how this combination of soil, climate and farming experience is reflected in unique grape flavors. They are simply custodians, enhancing the innate expressiveness of the wines and enabling them to reveal over time their individual origins and personality. Torbreck is actually named after the forest near Inverness, Scotland where the winery's founder, David Powell worked as a lumberjack after completing university studies. The winemaking style at Torbreck is meticulous and dedicated to producing exceptional wines. They use carefully selected 225-litre oak barriques for maturation, known as Dominique Laurent 'Magic Casks'. The oak is personally harvested from Forêt de Tronçais in Allier, and the staves are aged for 48 to 54 months at an exposed location for maximum seasoning. The staves are then hand-made into barrels and heated over three differing flames for several hours, resulting in a gentle toast due to the remarkable density of the wood. Torbreck's winemaking style reflects their commitment to producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Barossa region. Torbreck The Kyloe Mataro is a wine that exemplifies the importance of terroir, viticulture, and the precise timing of grape picking. For all Torbreck wines, these three factors are instrumental in creating exceptional quality. However, when it comes to Mataro, the picking date holds a special significance. Patience is key when it comes to harvesting Mataro grapes. The winemakers at Torbreck understand the importance of allowing the fruit to reach optimal physiological and flavour ripeness, regardless of sugar levels. This patience and restraint are crucial in producing dense, wild, and beautifully rounded wines. The Barossa Valley's climate provides the perfect conditions for achieving this level of ripeness. It is a place where Torbreck believes some of the finest Mataro wines in the world can be crafted. With Torbreck The Kyloe Mataro, you can expect a wine that showcases the pinnacle of flavour development, as the fruit has reached its optimum stage. This 100% Mataro wine from Torbreck is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the winemakers. It is a wine that truly captures the essence of the Barossa Valley and offers a unique and exceptional tasting experience. Torbreck The Kyloe Mataro 2019 is a captivating expression of Mataro from the renowned Barossa Valley. This vintage showcases the winery's dedication to crafting wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region. In the glass, The Kyloe Mataro 2019 displays a deep, garnet colour, indicating its richness and maturity. The nose is greeted with enticing aromas of dark berries, including blackberries and blueberries, intertwined with hints of dried herbs and earthy undertones. These complex aromas create an alluring invitation to explore further. On the palate, The Kyloe Mataro 2019 reveals a medium to full-bodied profile with a velvety texture. The flavors of ripe black fruits take centre stage, accompanied by subtle notes of black pepper and a touch of smoky oak. The wine showcases a well-balanced structure with refined tannins and a vibrant acidity, adding depth and complexity to the overall experience. The finish is long and satisfying, leaving a lingering impression of dark fruit flavors and a touch of spice.
Château du Cèdre Cahors Extra Libre Le Cèdre Malbec
Château du Cèdre is widely regarded as the leading estate in Cahors. Brothers Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe, both qualified oenologists, can trace its history back to their grandfather Léon who left his native Flanders to settle in south-west France in the early 1900s. In due course Léon’s son Charles and his wife Marie-Thérèse started a mixed farm in 1958 and began planting one hectare of vines in three different plots every year. Today, Château du Cèdre comprises 27ha of vineyards planted at 4000-5500 vines per hectare on some of the most prized terroirs in Cahors, most notably the famous troisième + 4th terrasses which are located just below the cliffs of the valley. These sites typically have more limestone terroir giving great freshness and while the most prized of these terraces are the 4th terraces which make up just 2% of Cahors, Chateau du Cedre owns 55% of these very best terraces. In keeping with the long history of Cahors, 90% of the vineyard is planted to Malbec (known locally as both Cot and Auxerrois), with 5% Merlot (now known to be a half-sibling of Malbec) and 5% Tannat. There is also 1ha of Viognier and a little of the Bordeaux whites, Sémillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Blanc. For the 2015 vintage of Château du Cèdre Cahors Extra Libre Le Cèdre Malbec, the fruit has been certified organically grown, completely destemmed, and fermented in concrete tanks for a total of 30 days without the use of any sulphur. Again without sulphur, aged for 18 months in large oak barrels. This wine is vegan-friendly and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Wendouree Shiraz
Wendouree has achieved cult status with its tiny production from ancient vines. Luscious dark berry Shiraz fruits and some meaty characters run through the full-bodied palate with ripe tannins.
Yangarra Old Vine Grenache
While certainly lighter, more elegant, and a different style to that of some of previous years, the 2011 vintage is one of the greatest Grenache vintages Yangarra has ever produced. The white pepper spice is telling of such a cool year, and is married with bright cherries and raspberry alongside complex hints of liquorice, chicory and cured meats. The tannins are fine and delicate, and the acidity alike.
Brave Souls The Able Seaman Grenache
Brave Souls is the creation of young winemaker Julia Weirich, in collaboration with Simon Cowham and Corey Ryan of Sons of Eden. German in heritage but gypsy at heart, she has worked all over the world, honing her skills in wineries including Bass Phillip in Australia, Yealands in New Zealand, Le Grappin in Burgundy and Mulderbosch in South Africa. Upon her return to Australia, Julia set upon a plan to make wine for herself. Having known her for some time, Simon & Corey, the well-known dynamic team behind Sons of Eden, stepped in to help Julia realise this great adventure in the Barossa Valley. The name, Brave Souls, is inspired by the story of the famous Admella shipwreck of 1859 and spotlights the remarkable accounts of those characters who risked their lives to help the survivors. Iconic Australian artist Bruce Goold generously agreed to visualise the tales of these Brave Souls for the project’s labels. The Grenache is sourced from two, 90+ year-old vineyards in the Barossa Valley. Both are positioned in the Southern Barossa Valley between Lyndoch and Rowland Flat in the foothills of the Barossa Ranges. Ideally positioned in full sunlight during the day and benefiting from cooling gully winds in the late afternoon, the vineyards consistently produce exceptional fruit, with the 2022 vintage classed as outstanding. The Grenache was handpicked and predominantly destemmed, with 15% of whole bunch contribution. After a brief cold-soak period, the fruit was allowed to warm naturally to start fermentation. Hand plunged daily, helped to manage the temperature exchange and the gentle extraction of the tannins . After 20-days on skins the fermenters were pressed to large seasoned oak barrels for a 12-month maturation. Post maturation the wine was racked to blend, naturally clarified and then bottled. Bright ruby in colour, with a vibrant bouquet of mixed wild berries, red-liquorice spice and a hint of confectionary. The palate displays a fresh vibrancy and richness with seamless supporting tannins, and finishes with excellent balance and length.
Fratelli Revello Barolo Conca
The Revello family’s history began in the first post-war period, when they became tenants of a farmhouse in the parish of San Martino di La Morra. In the 1960s, they began to replant vineyards, which later produced the first bottle of Barolo by Giovanni Revello & Figli. This marked a period of expansion for Revello with their acquisition of the Gattera and Conca sites. In the 1990s, brothers Carlo and Lorenzo (Enzo) Revello decided to divide the company to facilitate the inception of their respective children. Enzo Revello later established the Fratelli Revello winery in Annunziata, where he and his children Simone and Elena now make wines together. Since releasing their first Fratelli Revello Barolo in 1993, a blend of fruit from all their vineyards, four single cru-inspired wines appeared and defined Revello’s identity as a brand capable of producing single-site wine of inimitable quality. Today, the Fratelli Revello wines benefit from the utmost level of care and selection process in the vineyards. The resulting organic wines display an undeniable approachability and fruit generosity unspoiled thanks to a gentle touch in the cellar. Conca can be described as one of the smallest MGA crus in La Morra. It almost entirely serves as Revello’s home block. The name ‘Conca’ is derived from its concave shape, which has for effect to trap heat and coddle the vines, conferring the wines a bolder structure and fleshiness than those made from vines situated higher up. This vineyard is claimed by 5 producers, Revello being not only the largest landholder, but also the most committed to preserving its natural ecosystem. The vines were planted in 1954 on calcareous and clayey soil. The 0.7-hectare vineyard faces south-east at 250 meters above sea level. The grapes were hand harvested and transferred into horizontal roto-fermenters where they remained for 6 to 8 days on skins. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks for 10 to 15 days. Malolactic conversion happened in barriques. It was aged in used French barriques 60% and new 40% for 24 months. One of the smallest vineyard extensions in all of Barolo, Conca is the tiny plot in front of the Revello estate. Dripping with personality, Conca’s geography lends itself towards structured wines that are atypical to La Morra, with characters of chocolate, spice, tar and smoke and a serious tannin profile.
Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Cailloux
Most of Daniel Bouland’s old bush vines are rooted in the Morgon climat of Corcelette, in hilly Haut-Morgon to the northwest of the appellation. Within this area, there are several lieux-dits that Bouland now bottles separately, and Bellevue is one of these. It’s a particularly stony (cailloux means stones) southeast-facing site, with plenty of schist running through the granitic, sandy base soil (much like in Côte du Py). The plethora of rock on the surface traps and radiates warmth, and, as a result, this is Bouland’s earliest-ripening site. The vines were planted in 1951 and 1987. This is made the same way as the Bellevue Sable wine—natural, whole-bunch ferment, concrete tank maturation and no fining—though the vines are on different rootstocks (420A rootstock in this case, specifically designed for terroirs that are very stony and have no topsoil). Also, the vines are a touch older than in the Sable cuvée. - Notes sourced from the importer