Calvados, Dessert, Cabernet Me...

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

La Cidrerie, created in 1950 by François Sehedic father, has been specialized in the production of drinks from apples to cider of ancient varieties specific to the Breton terroir and particularly to the prestigious Fouesnant. Marie Laure Séhédic and her husband Christian Daniélou continue today to highlight the area. The cider house holds organic and biodynamic certification.

Traditional cider from Brittany with a funky twist to its bright and inviting nose. A touch of sweetness that finishes nice and dry and is wonderfully rustic in its style. This is true farmhouse cider.

Fouesnant Cider 750ml is the heir to authentic know-how and a long family tradition. Made from orchards located in Pays Fousnantais, this cider is a blend of old varieties and harvested by hand. The apples are sorted manually and the pressing is done when the fruits are fully ripe, from the end of September to December. The fermentation of this cider is slow and it ends with natural fermentation in the bottle for about 2 and a half months, which gives it a fine and digestible bubble Recognised for its bitterness, roundness and persistent aromas of fresh apple, fresh butter and hazelnut. Made from 100% Apple juice fermented. We recommend drinking the Fouenant Cider as an aperitif.

Best Traditional Cider - Australian Cider Awards 2024

This cider is a nod to the traditional English style—dry, but not overly so. We started with a base of cider apples, carefully blending the highly esteemed Kingston Black variety with a generous portion of Brown’s apple, known for its mild sharpness. The fermentation was a slow process, as we aimed for a “keeve”—a tricky technique that didn’t entirely go as planned, but still yielded some delightful results.

The final cider offers a well-rounded apple flavour, complemented by a fresh finish, intriguing tannins, and a hint of funk that adds character. It’s a balanced and enjoyable cider with depth, perfect for those who appreciate a bit of complexity in their glass

Born from the harmony of the soil, apple trees and the climate of the Breton Coast, Cornouaille cider is a golden cider with fruit aromas. To the eye, it presents a golden-orange colour, a generous and fine mousse. On the nose, it offers an aromatic complexity where you can find fruity, floral, spicy aromas. After a supple attack, the mouth is structured with a beautiful amplitude (rounding around a dominant bittersweet). Made from 100% Apple juice fermented. To consume as an aperitif or to accompany salads, fish or seafood. Serve chilled!

The biodynamic orchards are comprised of trees upto 50+ years old containing 40-50 varieties of heirloom apples. The hand-harvested fruit is dehydrated for 4-5 weeks and simply ground and pressed then settled for clarification before fermenting naturally, originating in tank and finishing in bottle. Bubbles develop within two weeks of bottling. It has lovely aromatics of graham and baked apple, followed by elegant bubbles and an off-dry profile on the palate.
ERIC BORDELET

Situated on 115 acres, Wille Smiths is 30 minutes south of Hobart in the Huon Valley, a once thriving apple-growing region that exported apples all over the globe and earned Tasmania the title of the 'Apple Isle'.

Our farm went organic in 1997, thanks to the innovation of current orchardist, Andrew Smith. It was a bold move, transforming the orchard to organic, and involved a lot of new techniques and training to achieve. With a new focus on organic farming and the use of the apples in our cider, they hope to bring back the glory of the 'Apple Isle' days once more.

The cidery is located at the  orchard, meaning the fruit travels the smallest distance possible from tree to bottle. It's a full circle process which all occurs in one place, right here on the farm.

Be in no doubt, this is one of the countries of not the worlds greatest ciders. Bold statement for sure but we think you will agree once you try it. This used to be called the French Blend but the various type of apples have moved it away from a predominantly French blend so they have changed the name. This is a seasonal release and one we are looking forward too. If you have never tried these we cannot recommend them enough - so bloody delicious!

Erin Pooley was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Before relocating to California she graduated from Charles Sturt University with a degree in Wine Science. Erin has been making wine worldwide since 2007.

Enamored with the nuance and intrigue of white wine with bottle age, Erin started her wine company in 2012 with Semillon from the Luchsinger Vineyard in Lake County, California. From the outset Erin subscribed to the philosophy of aging Semillon before release. We heard about her through our (PWS) dealings with Kenny at Hobo Wine Co. in California. When we tried her wines back here in Aus we were instantly enamored. No lack of talent here and we can't wait to see what's to come.

This is cabernet Jim but not as we know it. Softly spiced and enticing with violet florals, hints of crushed pepper and some wild herbs. It's fleshy, bright leading with currants, blackberry and a melange of wild forest fruit. It's not big but it's juicy. It's not light but it's oh so fresh. It's cabernet but its Erin's own take on cabernet. Made for drinking, not thinking.

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Mostly estate fruit with Poire coming from very old trees scattered throughout the region. 30 varieties of apples, 20 varieties of pears and 8 varieties of Cormes

Aptly described by Eric as a ‘Poire de soif’ or thirst quenching pear cider perfect for aperitif or with seafood and cheeses. So pure, so delicious. Awesome at any time of the day.

Pomarina takes its name from the Latin word for apple; Poma. In autumn, organically-grown apples are carefully selected and harvested from El Gaitero's own orchards and local growers, which are regulated under the PDO Sidra de Asturias

Golden with straw/yellow hue. It's floral, skinsy, deep and open in style. There are sweet, nutty, savoury and bitter elements. Abundant small bubbles add to the skin richness, mouthfeel and weight. The freshness of air-dried-apple granola in the cool of morning jostles with the perfume heft of a muggy wheat field after rain. Skins, then seeds and later, a touch of apple core bitterness gives rim to a mouthfeel of brilliant balance, which holds beautifully and releases with a delicate acetic rinse. Apple poetry!

This prestigious offering combines 19 apple varieties, prepared according to an ancestral method of maceration. The nose exhales a mixture of fruity and mineral notes: stewed apple apricot, lemon, honey and mile spices.Ample, balanced palate, boasting intense flavours, brought out by extremely small bubbles.
A premium cider that can be served with a meal or offered as an aperitif and indeed Normand's cheese.Worth ageing. ericbordelet.com

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Known more as a cutting-edge cider maker, Eric Bordelet was a top sommelier at Arpege in Paris, before returning home to Normandy in 1992 to take over the family business. He biodynamically grows more than 20 apple varieties and 15 pear varieties. JASON WILSON, Vinous

Eric Bordelet approaches Cider-making with the same intensity as a passionate oenologist brings to winemaking. Bordelet worked as sommelier in the leading 3 star Parisian restaurant, ‘Arpege’ where he became deeply familiar with the top winemakers and wineries of France. In 1992 he took over the tiny patch of family farmed orchards in Charchigné, in the heart of Normandy’s premium Cider producing area. Since then he has set about rescuing the ancient ‘heirloom’ varieties of pears and apples that produce tiny quantities and amazing flavour.

Produced from pear trees estimated to be about 300 years old. Poiré Granit has 25-80 grams of sugar per liter, yet it doesn't taste particularly sweet.  This is due to the tannin and acidity, which Bordelet says is twice as high as the apple! Stunning as aperitif or with cheese or desserts. With just 4% alc/vol this can be enjoyed any time. Cider simply doesn't get better than this !!

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This is a wonderful second wine, and a real success in a vintage where second wines are often punching below their weight. It's rich, plump, floral-edged and above all extremely drinkable. It has a juicy frame and it delivers. A 2% pinch of Petit Verdot adds spice (and is added only after the press wine, the absolute final step to add depth, if needed). They used no secondary fruit at all. This should be good to go in five to six years. Tasted several times. DECANTER

The 2017 Reserve de la Comtesse is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it strolls out of the glass with nonchalant notions of preserved red plums, black cherries, kirsch and black raspberries with wafts of wilted roses, cinnamon toast, fallen leaves and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is very pretty, with delicately played tannins and bags of freshness, finishing wonderfully fragrant. LISA PERROTTI-BROWN, The Wine Advocate

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Shimmers medium gold. Vibrant notes of toffee, ginger and baked pineapple aromas waft from the glass. It's still incredibly youthful with touches of honey starting to emerge adding another layer to the luscious palate. Spiced nectarines mix with subtle hints of marmalade and umami notes of white button mushrooms in the mouth, alongside ginger, toffee and apple tarte tatin flavours - it's intriguing and incredibly delicious. The finish is mouthwatering, a trickle of acidity cleanses on its way out. This generously sized bottle of Sauternes should be shared lavishly with friends and a plate of cheese. Don't hesitate here. GABRIELLE POY, PWS

 

Aged in small apple brandy casks for over 12 months, this rich and generous liqueur is a result of blending pressed French and British heirloom apple varieties with our apple spirit.

Complex and well-structured with baked apple and spice, balanced with firm tannins and cask influence.

Our take on the traditional aperitif from North-West France – enjoy as such or serve with blue cheese or dessert. WILLIE SMITH

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The 2019 Lafon-Rochet is every bit as compelling today as it was from barrel. There is a feeling of elegance to the 2019 that is so striking. Sweet dark cherry, plum new leather, tobacco, licorice, spice and rose petal all grace the 2019 as it unwinds to its long finish. Lafon-Rochet is not huge nor obvious, as some Saint-Estèphes are, but it is absolutely compelling. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2019 Lafon-Rochet, which was picked from 25 September to 5 October, requires a little coaxing from the glass, eventually unfurling with blackberry, bilberry, violet and light crushed stone/clayey scents that is quintessential Saint-Estèphe. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, fresh and saline in the mouth, old school in the best sense of that expression. No, it is not the most flamboyant Lafon-Rochet, but it is imbued with a sense of nobility and classicism that I much admire. Tasted three times with consistent notes. NEAL MARTIN

Brilliant stuff, the 2019 Château Lafon-Rochet shows the best of the vintage with its pure, precise, elegant, yet at the same time concentrated style. Showing lots of ripe currant, plum, tobacco, Asian spice, and cedar pencil aromatics, it's medium to full-bodied, has nicely integrated acidity, and just seamless tannins. It's beautifully done and well worth seeking out. It's going to evolve for 20-25+ years. JEB DUNNUCK

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The 2020 Lafon-Rochet represents the essence of classicism in Bordeaux. Medium in body and finely-cut, Lafon-Rochet is one of the classiest, more refined Saint-Estèphes readers will come across. Dark fruit, earthiness, lavender, licorice, menthol and cloves add nuance, but it is the wine's balance and vibrancy that impress most. Give the tannins a few years to melt away. Superb. ANTONIO GALLONI

I loved the 2020 Château Lafon-Rochet, a rich, powerful, concentrated Saint-Estèphe that stays beautifully balanced and elegant. Lots of pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as tobacco, chocolate, and damp herb notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a great finish. It's going to take 7-8 years to hit the early stages of maturity, but it's a brilliant wine. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 13.5 and a pH of 3.68. Tasted twice. JEB DUNNUCK

Loads of honey, maple syrup, dried apricot and spice. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with a refined, spicy character. Pretty wine. Masses of botrytis. This is refined and long, a racy wine compared with the power and muscle of so many others. Beauty among the beasts. 96 wine spectator

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

An explosion of all manner of black berries with discreet, toasty and smoky oak, makes this a joyful St.-Estèphe. Then the great balance of ripeness, lively acidity and velvety tannins come together beautifully at the elegant finish to make this the best wine from this producer in modern times. Needs two or three years to soften. Try in 2022. JAMES SUCKLING

A sleeper in this vintage, the 2016 Lafon-Rochet is positively stellar. Bright, translucent and super-expressive, the 2016 has so much to offer. Lavender, tobacco, cedar, mint and dried herbs give the 2016 striking aromatic top notes to play off the darker fruit flavors. The 2016 is pure class. Don't miss it. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2016 Lafon-Rochet has a very engaging bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit laced with pencil shavings and loamy scents. In fact, the more you nose this wine, the more its complexity becomes apparent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine line of acidity, ripe and generous yet maintaining outstanding tension and revealing a judicious touch of peppercorns on the finish, which fans out gloriously. This is a fabulous Lafon-Rochet NEAL MARTIN

All the success of St-Estèphe in 2016 can be seen in Lafon- Rochet this year, where the 30mm of rain on 13th September and 13mm on 8th October, with nothing in between, allowed the clay, limestone and gravel soils to fully ripen the grapes. Owner Basile Tesseron says he had never seen such maturity in his Cabernet Sauvignons, and certainly we have hugely intense aromatics from the first nose. The palate features finessed and fleshed out mouthwatering black fruits making it hard not to love this. Tasted three times in total, and every time it stood out. JANE ANSON, Decanter

One of the potential sleepers of the vintage, Basil Tesseron's 2015 Lafon-Rochet is a total knock-out. Explosive, deep and powerful, the 2015 possesses remarkable richness and intensity. A host of black cherry, smoke, gravel, menthol, tar and licorice notes abound. I tasted the 2015 four times over two weeks. During that time, the wine seemed to acquire more and more freshness as well as finesse. There is little question Lafon-Rochet is one of the stars of Saint-Estèphe in 2015. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot ANTONIO GALLONI

A gem from Saint-Estèphe is the 2015 Château Lafon-Rochet and it's certainly one of the top wines from this appellation in 2015. Elegant, medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure and refined, it offers impressive notes of sweet dark fruits, crème de cassis, classy oak and a kiss of minerality. It's the finesse and quality of tannin, as well as its solid mid-palate, that sets this beauty apart. This wine is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, and it's hidden little gem worth tracking down! JEB DUNNUCK

Sauternes (1st Growth)

The Chateau Suduiraut has a comparatively rich, botrytized bouquet with dried honey, pineapple and a touch of Seville orange marmalade, with exquisite definition and focus. The palate is well-balanced, with a viscous texture and a good level of botrytis, demonstrating fine minerality and tautness. Dried mango, quince and spice all interlace the focused finish, which is long in the mouth. Tasted against its peers, this has a higher level of intensity and focus. A superb follow-up to the sensational 2009.  ROBERT PARKER

One of the sweeter wines of the vintage, but in fact with exactly the same residual as the usually more conservative Yquem, this has tremendous Suduiraut individuality, in its high tones of tensile fruit, all fresh and citrus, nothing heavy, yet ending very smooth and plush with nothing to stop it retaining this balance for many many years. A strong contender for Wine of the Vintage. BILL BLATCH, Bordeaux Gold

There are only a select few, perfect locations, to grow great wine on this big blue orb of ours and those are between 30 and 50 degrees north and south latitudes. Those regions need to provide just the right temperature, humidity, heat and climate to grow high quality grapes. We are absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to the northern reaches with the whole of Europe at our disposal, but travel further south and things are a little different.

While New Zealand and Tasmania provide us with plenty of choices (and we would be remiss not to include them) the southern reaches sitting on and just below the 40 degrees latitude offer a up a wholy unique drinking experience.

While grapes like riesling, cabernet and pinot noir are familiar to us, a number of the wines in this months pack aren't seen so regularly on your local wines list or on the shelves of your corner wine store. From Malbec's in Argentina to the infamous Pinotage and the more classic varietals like Chenin in South Africa this is an exploration of all that is good in these great southern lands of ours.

Where do we start with such an awesome selection of interesting wine? It's hard to decide we might just do a quick run down by country.

South America is relatively new to the wine scene but has come along in leap and bounds. WE start with a couple of classics with the Finca Los Moras Malbec and the Santa Ana Cabernet. These are text book varietal wines with plenty to love in their up-front fruit and modern styling. For something a little different we through in the Bouchon pais. For those who do not know, Pais is an old variety that is Chile's answer to pinot noir. With a little more bite and a wild flourish this a great introduction to this fascinating wine.

Closer to home in New Zealand we have few classic drops with the Palliser Estate Pencarrow pinot. A wine you would be hard pressed to find with the structure, concentration and complexity at the same price. Off to Hawkes Bay for some stonking Chardonnay from Bilancia fame and some of the world most underrated syrah from stars Te Mata. What a treat!

Just in our backyard, Tassie continues to pump out some of the best wine in the country and while we would never miss out on showcasing another great pinot there is some real winners with pinot gris and riesling on the rise. The Moores Hill gris is a freat example of textural and vibrant gris from the Apple Isle with the Riversdale riesling hot on its tale.

And for something a little different we have got the latest release Willie Smiths Cider. This is an absolute belter, and we couldn't help but included it once we were told it had been released. Perfect timing! We will take that one!

Last, and something we don't see much in Aus is a cracking selection of wines from South Africa. Long-term customers may recognise some of these wines and as far as we are concerned, they are some of the best modern day Cape wines to make it over. The Bare Bones cinsault is a zippy red full of energy while the Winery of Good Hope pinotage is a juicy and fun take on this classic red variety,

And what would a selection of wine from South Africa be without a chenin blanc. The Secateurs is clean and crunchy with a plush fruit profile that is cleaned up by chenin's zippy acidity.
All in al a pretty awesome and exciting collection of stellar wines from the great south!

The 1988 Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva is a dark amber color with orange hues. It opens with a spice-box bouquet that takes all the confections of Autumn and Christmas blended with dried apricots, peaches and cedar shavings. It's silky smooth yet lifted and decidedly savory, with a burst of ground ginger and sour citrus complicating its remnants of tart orchard fruit. Butterscotch comes together with clove and golden raisin as the 1988 finishes impossibly long and potent. It shows just a touch of forgivable heat as suggestions of hazelnut linger on and on. More like a brown spirit than a wine, the 1988 is irresistible. ERIC GUIDO

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The only vergine riserva ever made by de Bartoli who was encouraged to try this style by Berry Bros and Rudd
The 1988 Marsala Vergine Riserva mixes amber with red hues, lifting up dusty and savory with notes of cave-aged gouda, quince, baked apple and clove. With time in the glass, it gains in volume, evolving to show rich dark chocolates and dried roses. There are depths of texture here, yet it's wonderfully balanced by vibrant acidity as salted caramel and exotic spices wash across the palate, leaving a coating of mineral-drenched orchard fruits under an air of burnt sugar and tobacco. The experience goes on and on, as minutes can go by, and you're still not just tasting but feeling the 1988's glycerol heft lingering incredibly long. This edition of the Vergine Riserva was bottled in 2019, which is stated on the front label. ERIC GUIDO

Toasted hazelnuts, mahogany, hard cheese touches, toast and spice. Touch of sweet fruit to enter, then toasted hazelnut and walnut. Spice, some chew, with a very long, pain d'épices and toasted hazelnut finish. Salty tang. 19% TIM JACKSON MW

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1 bottle available at time of offer