Calvados, monastrell, cider, F...

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!

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!

Fine and polished nose - floral, figgy and gently meaty, it's a delicate and perfectly varietal expression of Monastrell. Soft, wide tannins start the mouth off and a long rip of ripe acid in the back half really straightens things out. Almuvedre has long been one of the bargain wines of the world and the style-quality-value amalgam continues to boggle the mind. IMPORTER

 

Quite possibly the most delicious Pobblebonk to date. Riesling, friulano, pinot grigio and ribolla gialla are the friends, each fermented wild in used French oak, on full solids and later blended. It’s heady with meadow flowers, lemon blossom and hints of lemon verbena, really spicy with nutty, leesy aromas, and the palate is both textural and alive with fine acidity. Neat phenolics add to the pleasure of drinking this. (95) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion

Light to mid straw colour in the glass, the bouquet savoury with some nutty notes possibly from barrel ferment, adding layers to the floral and spicy fruit aromas. Deliciously intense fruit on palate with a touch more dimension than the Quealy pinot grigios. It's truly more than the sum of its parts. A lovely drink, intense, long and harmonious, the finish lip-smackingly dry and appetising. (95), HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

How do you make a melange of fruity, bitter and salty so perfectly? So easygoing, delivering the goods, not stingy on flavour, not pushy with perfume. Just right. Lightly honeyed, with pink rock salt to balance, crunch of pears and cashews, with a cooling aniseed to finish. Textural but smooth. Simply yum. Nailed it. (94), KASIA SOBIESIAK Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front

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!

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!

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

This really is one of the most fascinating, inspiring, and singular estates of Italy. An incredible history that spans centuries and that in just over a quarter century has become a benchmark producer for some of the rarest wines in the world. A noble and impressive feat.

The property with its steep terraces surrounded by chestnut, oak and wild cherry trees dates back to the Paiarchte of Aquiuleia and the Republic of Venice. Unusually, it sits in an Alpine valley that runs east-to-west rather than north-to-south 35 km’s from the sea and 35 km’s from the mountains which see harvest start a full two weeks later than anywhere else in Friuli while rarely exceeding alcohols of 12.5%

Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, preceded by two days' maceration on the skins; native yeasts; natural static decation. Ageing on lees for at least three months with frequent batonage. 25 - 30 year old vines.

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 2021 La Tendida is the second vintage of this wine from young vines planted between 2006 and 2010 in an area where they are going to keep growing as they transition from the valley to more limestone-rich soils in other parts of the property. It was produced with 75% Monastrell and 25% Garnacha and matured in oak foudre. It has an elegant rusticity compared with Las Gravas or Pie Franco bottlings, with a combination of herbs, flowers, earth and tree bark, with very fine tannins and a chalky finish. It has ripeness, power, elegance and balance. 40,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February/March 2023. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

Notes of beeswax and honey with ripe pears and citrus peel on offer. Medium-bodied with a silky, polished texture and attractive stone fruit crunchiness. Delicious and textured. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING

This small gem in the heart of Collio was established in 1989 by highly respected oenologist Fabio Coser. Fabio’s career as a consulting oenologist allowed him privileged knowledge of the area’s terroir so that by the time he chose a property of his own, he already knew the Collio like the back of his hand. Ronco dei Tassi was named after the population of badgers (tassi) on the estate, which like to carry out some grape selection of their own and steal the sweetest bunches. Of what’s left, Fabio and son Enrico craft into stylish, elegant and characterful wines. From fifty year old vines, this is aged mostly in stainless steel with a small portion going through malolactic in old barriques. Straw yellow with green highlights, the nose displays acacia flowers and the palate is distinctly varietal with citrus fruit, pear, liquorice & almond.

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 !!

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!

Big fan of Jumilla Monastrell, there's great Monastrell made in Spain, with a ton of character. This particular Monastrell; concentrated with red and dark berries, balanced with a touch of chocolate and savoury components. Great wine and food pairing!  NICK CAPEL, PWS SYDNEY

The grapes are from 13 plots of Monastrell vineyards in La Raja (where the winery is located) between the mountain ranges of El Carche and La Pila. The vines range from 20 to 70 years old sitting at 800 metres, within the wine region D.O. Jumilla, in the south of Spain. Steel tank ferment with 5 months in small French oak.

Red licorice, pastille fruits, and a hint of charry savouriness and scorched earth layered in with sweet, heady spice. Black cherry, black raspberry fruit paint the palate then slowly melt away to reveal spice box and savory herbs then rushes back in with plum, blackberry compote, blueberrie, and blackcurrant that bring the finale to a luxurious finish that trails off with some dark chocolate, and tobacco.

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!

A dry pink style of sparkling, using the classic blend of xarel.lo, parellada and macabeu, along with monastrell to create an amazing pink hue to the wine. Varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel before blending to create the base wine. Minimum of 18 months on lees in bottle before disgorgement, with a tiny bit of dosage at the end.

Dry pink of great elegance. A lovely faded rose pink colour, it smells of gently boozed strawberries, dusty rose aromatics - perfumed without any outrageous fruitiness or excess. Nice false sweetness on entry -the balance is ultimately off-dry, juicy and gentle, with high quality delicate bubbles underpinning the fruit, cutting the fruitiness and running on to a super-gently acid close.

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!

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

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!

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!

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!