June Premium 6-Pack 2023 - Winter Whites

A blend of 70% Viognier, 30% Roussanne from high-altitude single site at the top of the village of Mauves and at the edge of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Decomposed granite (like Hermitage) that is sand-like in texture. All fermented in stainless steel.

A pretty and inviting nose that sucks you in with some exotic looking, citrus and yellow tree fruit spiked with a mineral, saline edging. Its lush and full with everything held in tight giving plenty of tension and nerve. Love how the slippery, lush fruits ride on tight-rope of fresh acidity and that mineral twang making its presence felt in all the right ways. This is how it's done!

First point to make here is that this is the freshest and most tense version of this wine to date. White flowers, slightly underripe nectarine, you know that feeling? Crunchy, tangy, leaves your mouth feeling refreshed? Second point to make is there is quite a solid little hit of extract here. I think that's what keeps this wine from being bracing, it's kind of a buffering effect. It races across the palate with intent and gets the old salivary glands working. It is so refreshing but I really wanted some oysters to have with it and we were too "busy" at the time. I think another six months in the bottle should see a little more fruit build up too.

Chenin Blanc, crouchen, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot gris; some skin fermentation, lees time, considered winemaking.

A beautiful, savoury-leaning, medium weight white wine of great charisma. Scents of candle wax, lemon balm, ripe apple and fudge. The palate is more lemony, creamy almost but for a cut of ultra fine tannin lending some chew and chalkiness. Flavours run long and the finish is this cavalcade of briny minerality, sweet spice and nutty savouriness. Wow. It’s just got so much going on. One for not drinking too cold. Super wine. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

From the home block. A serious take on the variety. Fuller in flavour too – lots of proper chardonnay character.

Deep and delicious but lively and fresh too. Very nutty, saline minerally and lashed with ripe apple, lime, nectarine. It feels fragrant, rich in a way but the briny lift in the palate takes things away and refreshes with each sip. Gentle despite the layers of flavour. Moreish, overall. Juicy texture finishes in a fine, light chew of talc-like grip. Succulent. This does a lot of things really well. Ready to roll now. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

Rolet is one of the classic and great producers of Jura making wines of wonderful intensity and palate staining minerality in a modern and fresh framework. These are always some of our favourite wines from the region. The savagnin is fermented in partially filled barrels but topped up to make sure there is very little oxidisation.
So lovely on the nose with chalky, floral notes interspersed with white pepper that flecks the apple and pear fruits. Beautifully textured with waxy white fruits layered into a creamy and crunchy palate. There is this push-pull between the savoury mineral notes and the perfectly ripe fruit that is so appealing. Its savoury and sweet and sweet at once and oh so, more-ish.

One of the great white wines of Australia. A different expression this year, in some respects, where each year varies, but this is a swerve.

Huge energy in this wine, but distinct in its firm, herbal thread. It’s highly perfumed in lemongrass, sage leaf, preserved lemon, green almond. Beautiful, really. The palate is where the business is at. The texture is sublime, slinky, concentrated, grippy and extraordinarily long with a saline, faintly nutty finish with some parmesan rind pleasing bitterness to finish with a light, white balsamic lift also pleasing and bright. So refreshing and moreish too. Lemongrass to taste, apple, mixed peel, supple lime notes, green almond again. It’s an outstanding wine, a wine of character. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front