Champagne, Hunter Valley, Sici...
Champagne
The chalky soils of Champagne combined with its frigid growing environment create wines that are electric and salivating. But it’s the creation of bubbles that makes these wines stand out.
The bubbles are formed during a secondary fermentation in bottle, known as Méthode Traditionelle. The longer they age, the more nougat and brioche flavours develop and the finer the bead (bubble) becomes.
In terms of who invented Champagne, the English make a strong case as they worked out the formula for purposely making the fizz happen and their stronger coal-fired glass bottles - resulting from the Industrial Revolution - could hold the pressure. Whereas the French were still bottling in wood-fired glass which wasn’t strong enough and they hadn’t cracked the technique of creating bubbles on purpose.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay
Red: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Styles
Nowhere in the world can emulate the fineness and electric detail of these wines. Non-vintage Champagnes should be enjoyed earlier in their lives, while vintage wines have more structure and can age beautifully. House styles differ too. Blanc des Blancs (100% Chardonnay) offer a more elegant and fragile expression while Blanc des Noirs (100% Pinot and or Meunier) are darker fruited with more obvious structure and power.
Favourite Producers
Pierre Peters, Louis Roederer, Vilmart, Andre Clouet, Taittinger, Larmandier, Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosse
Sicily
A mere generation ago, there mightn't have been much to say here about Sicilian wine. Apart from Marsala, the reds were mostly sold in bulk to fatten up pale wines from cooler European vintages, or lost in the production of vermouth somewhere.
But with it's special place at the confluence of Mediterranean and North African cultures, there's been a modern day renaissance in wine and food here that is nothing short of a remarkable. Australians have an affinity for this blend of warm Mediterranean climate, migrant culture and vibrant food. Sicily just makes sense.
Red or white?
Red production is dominated by Nero d'Avola, grown in most regions across the island. Ranging from juicy medium bodied cherry fruited styles blended with the lighter Frappato, to sturdy dark, structured and plummy numbers that will appeal to Shiraz lovers.
Nerello Mascalese is exciting for its structured, fragrant and tannic wines, coming on high from the steep volcanic slopes of the still very active Mount Etna.
Surprisingly, there's also plenty of white planted here, chief among them Carricante. Distinctively refreshing with notes of smoke, cut herbs and lemon tonic.
Grapes
Carricante, Grillo, Nero d'Avola, Frappato, Nerello Mascalese
Favourite Producers
Occhipinti, COS, Terre Nere, Tenuta Aglaea, Feudo Montoni, Planeta, De Bartoli, Girolamo Russo, Passopisciaro
-
Messina Sicilian Beer 330mlMore 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!
beerItaly482$4.65 As low as $4.19 -
Feudo Arancio Grillo 2023More 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!
2023GrilloItaly482$21.00 As low as $18.90 -
Thomas Synergy Semillon 2023More 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!
2022SemillonAustralia407$24.00 As low as $21.60 -
Tyrrells Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2023More 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!
2016SemillonAustralia407$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
Tenute Orestiadi Molino a Vento Nerello Mascalese 2023More 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!
2023Italy482$27.00 As low as $24.30 -
De Iuliius Estate Shiraz 2022More 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!
2023shirazAustralia407$27.00 As low as $24.30 -
Curatolo Arini Dolce NVNow this is a Sicilian, family-run winery, and while we might make wry obs when we put the word ‘Sicilian’ together with the word ‘family’, and given that not too far inland is the town of Corleone… the real family story here is the remarkable and durable legacy of the founder, Vittorio Curatolo Arini. In 1875 ‘Vito’ decided to add Arini to his name in order to stand out, as he was about to embark on quite the gamble for a young man. Vito, a generational grape grower, founded his Marsala business by persuading the bank to support his proposal to build a full-on winery amidst the family vineyards on the outskirts of Marsala. Right from the start, Vito did things with care and style, including simpatico building design (rather than merely functional), signalling his serious intentions, and laying the foundations for today’s business. Not surprisingly, he and his Marsala wines did quite well!NVItaly482$28.00 As low as $25.20 -
Margan Breaking Ground Rosato 2022More 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!
2022Barbera, Merlot, Pinot GrisAustralia407$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Mt Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2018More 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!
2018SemillonAustralia407$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Feudo Montoni Lagnusa Nero d'Avola 2022 375mlMore 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!
2022Nero d'AvolaItaly482$31.00 As low as $27.90 -
Feudo Montoni Grillo Timpa 2023 375mlMore 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!
2023Italy482$31.00 As low as $27.90 -
Cantine Petrosino Lucido Catarratto 2023More 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!
2023Italy482$34.00 As low as $30.60 -
Tenuta Aglaea Vermouth BiancoMade from a mix of local white grapes grown at high altitude, this has been infused with local organic spices and herbs, the main herb ingredient is Artemisia absinthium. With 125gm residual sugar, this rounds out a Vesper nicely! GABRIELLE POY, PWS2017VermouthItaly482$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Tyrrells HVD Semillon 2018
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!
2014SemillonAustralia407$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Tenuta Aglaea Vermouth DryMade from a field blend of white grapes; carricante, cataratto, inzolia, greganico and minella at high altitude, this has been infused with local organic spices and herbs, the main herb ingredient is Artemisia absinthium.This finishes drier than the Bianco with 40gm residual sugar. Pour this over ice with soda and a olive to garnish for a lovely aperitif. GABRIELLE POY, PWS2017VermouthItaly482$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Feudo Montoni Lagnusa Nero d'Avola 2021The 2021 Nero d’Avola Lagnusa is coy in the glass, mixing blackberry with cedar and scant citrus. It splashes across the palate with a mineral-tinged blend of wild berries and exotic spice. A zesty core of acidity adds a reverberation of tension. The 2021 leaves a liquid floral concentration and subtle tannins to linger, finishing only lightly structured and with medium length. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous2021Nero d'AvolaItaly482$43.00 As low as $38.70 -
Feudo Montoni Lagnusa Nero d'Avola 2022More 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!
2022Nero d'AvolaItaly482$43.00 As low as $38.70 -
Feudo Montoni Grillo Timpa 2022The 2022 Grillo Timpa lifts from the glass with a minty freshness, blending sweet green melon with candied lime suggestions. It's soft and enveloping, with brisk acidity ushering in citrus-tinged orchard fruits and saline minerals that add a crunchy sensation. The 2022 finishes perfumed and wickedly fresh. The mouth is left watering as barely-ripe kiwi hints fade. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous
Timpa, meaning steep slope, and the vines are located on 60% slopes, with sandy soils mixed with stone grown organically near Agrigento in central Sicily. Aromas of almond skin, white flowers, and citrus peel lead to notes of savoury herb and stony minerality. The palate is classically Grillo—bright notes of grapefruit, wet slate, a dash of herbs and a zest acid-driven finish. CLIVE PURSEHOUSE2022Italy482$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
De Bortoli Noble One 2020 375mL
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!
2019SemillonAustralia407$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Mortellito Calaiamcu Bianco 2023More 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!
2023CarricanteItaly482$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Bortolone Frappato 2022The Cosenza family’s vineyards are ideally located in a valley where the Para Para and Mazzarronello rivers join. Frappato thrives in these sandy soils and hot and dry climate to produce a light red bursting with red f ruits and a lively f reshness. It is perhaps exactly the sort of wine you might not expect f rom such a region: light colour, gentle tannins, moderate alcohol and refreshing acidity. When blended with Nero d’Avola, the two grapes complement one another with a little more body and richer f ruit whilst maintaining energy and f reshness.
100% Frappato, fermented at cool temperatures for about two weeks and aged in stainless steel for a few months. A light ruby colour, this is perfumed with bright red berry f ruit that is f resh, carried through onto the palate with ref reshing acidity. Locally it pairs well with oily fish, pasta with sardines and caponata.2022Italy482$49.00 As low as $44.10 -
Hoopoe Sangiovese Toscana IGTMore 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!
2019sangioveseItaly482$50.00 As low as $45.00 -
Cantina Marilina Sketta Grecanico 2023More 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!
2022WhiteItaly482$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Cantina Marilina Cue Moscato 2022More 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!
2022Italy482$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2022Dried roses, boysenberry and classic Rosehill Shiraz character, but with a deeper more rugged, peppery and earthy cast. Medium-bodied, tannin slightly tough, red and blue fruit, pepper and spice, baked raspberry, and a slightly raw finish, but length is solid. It's a bit closed in as a young wine, but should turn out pretty well. It's a nice wine all up, from a more difficult vintage. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2022shirazAustralia407$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Graci Etna Rosso DOC 2022More 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!
2021Nerello MascaleseItaly482$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Pietradolce Etna Bianco 2023A burst of crushed stones, ginger-spiked green apples, fennel and dried flowers creates an invigorating bouquet as the 2023 Etna Bianco explodes from the glass. It’s silky and enveloping, with a sour tinge of green melon and salty mineral tones that add cheek-puckering tension within. The 2023 tapers off wickedly fresh yet potent. A sour citrus concentration lingers as hints of kiwi and fresh mint slowly recede. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous.com2023Italy482$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz 2022
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!
2022shirazAustralia407$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Occhipinti SP68 Rosso 2022The remarkably pretty 2022 Rosso SP68 is perfumed with a blend of violets, roses, white pepper and dried strawberries. This is built on purity, with sweet herbal tones accentuating citrus-tinged wild berry fruits, all energized by brisk acidity. The SP68 finishes with a gentle, cheek-puckering tension, leaving a lovely lavender hint to fade slowly. ERIC GUIDO2021Italy482$57.00 As low as $51.30 -
Benanti Etna Rosso 2022The 2022 Etna Rosso wafts up with a perfumed blend of rosy florals and hints of juniper berry. This is vividly fruit-focused, with a wave of ripe wild berries and sweet spices that flow across a stream of brisk acidity. It leaves a staining of primary concentration and mildly grippy tannins to resonate as violet inner florals slowly fade. While more extroverted than expected, the 2022 is a total pleasure to taste and maintains fantastic balance. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous2022Nerello MascaleseItaly482$59.00 As low as $53.10 -
Benanti Etna Bianco 2023Etna in north-east Sicily is better known for its reds than whites, but the best examples of the latter, made from the local grape Carricante, can be spectacular, somewhere between a Burgundian Aligoté and a top Soave in style. This is totally unoaked, but draws richness from six months of lees' ageing. Stony and intense, with notes of lime, fennel and lemon juice, steely, palate-cleansing acidity and a mineral tang. Best drunk with the Mediterranean sun on your face, but it'll cheer you up in winter too. TIM ATKIN MW
Benantis Etna Bianco from 100% Carricante is a delicately perfumed expression of Carricante with gentle mineral notes, white flowers and light flavours of peach or nectarine. The true protagonist, however, are the carefully dosed volcanic tones of ash and smoke. The bouquet will become even more refined with a year or more of ageing in the bottle. Fresh and round on the palate, great acidity and a saline vein, with a subtle sweetness on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE2023CarricanteItaly482$59.00 As low as $53.10 -
Barone Montalto Ammasso Rosso 2019More 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!
2019Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nerello Mascalese, Nero d'AvolaItaly482$62.00 As low as $55.80 -
Mount Pleasant Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz 2023More 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!
2023shirazAustralia407$62.00 As low as $55.80 -
Passopisciaro Passorosso Etna Rosso 2022The 2022 Passorosso is spicy in the glass with an herbal thrust up front, giving way to ginger-tinged dried cherries and dusty sage. This is silky-smooth with ripe red and hints of blue fruit. Brisk acidity motivates the mouthfeel as the 2022 takes on a salty savoriness toward the close. It finishes with outstanding length and concentration, leaving a coating of fine tannins and a resonance of licorice on the close. This is far from your average Etna Rosso, with nearly 50% of the fruit hailing from Contrada Guardiola ERIC GUIDO, Vinous
Beguiling nose of red fruit and pistachios, with flowers and black pepper enhancing the aromas. The attack is a bit raw, with edgy tannins and crisp acidity. It's medium- to full-bodied and chewy, with a balanced finish. It needs time to soften the structure, but displays a tight, crunchy youthful style that will match well with food and has the potential for aging. This high-altitude vineyard delivers greatness. JAMES SUCKLING
This 2022 is a true olfactory explosion of violets, lavender, wild herbs and black cherry. Intense, ripe and fleshy flavours of red and black fruits are accompanied by a hint of Parma violets, followed by a balanced finish that is both rich and fresh. DECANTER
2022Nerello MascaleseItaly482 -
Andre Clouet Grande Reserve NV 375mlANDRE CLOUET (9/10)
Bouzy and Ambonnay are the epicentre of pinot noir in Champagne, and the Clouet family is the priviledged custodian of eight hectares of estate vines in the best middle slopes of both villages. These are rich and concentrated expressions of pinot noir, wines of deep complexity, multi faceted interest and engaging character, yet with remarkable restraint and sense of control. Recent tastings confirm my impression that this small and relatively unknown grower ranks high among Champagne's finest practitioners of pinot noir - and expresses one of the best value of all.
100% Bouzy and Ambonnay pinot noir. 6g/L dosage
Release after release, year after year, I have always marvelled at the lemon blossom freshness that Clouet manages to capture in pinot noir from two of Champagne's most powerful terroirs. Here it is again, in a captivating interplay of fleshy mirabelle plums, white peaches, crunchy golden delicious apples, and even a hint of pepper. Wild honey and mixed spice join the maelstrom along the way, gliding obediently into a well defined finish of soft minerality and integrated dosage. TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide 2014-2015
(100% Pinot Noir)The NV Brut Grande Reserve offers up layers of mineral-infused red fruits on a silky, mid-weight frame, with gorgeous length and a refined, subtle mousse. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. I loved it. Andre Clouet is based in Bouzy, a village where Pinot Noir speaks with great eloquence, as is evident in these superb, pedigreed Champagnes. ANTONIO GALLONI, Robert ParkerNVChampagneFrance376$66.00 As low as $59.40 -
Cos Pithos Rosso 2022More 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!
2022Italy482$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Vinden Somerset Vineyard Single Barrel Shiraz (North) 2021More 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!
2021shirazAustralia407$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Etnella Orientale Sicula Rosato 2021More 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!
2021Nerello MascaleseItaly482$71.00 As low as $63.90 -
-
Bollinger Special Cuvee NV 375ml
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!
NVChampagneFrance376$73.00 As low as $65.70 -
Citrange Limone Amaro 500mlThese incredible amaro's are produced by Michele Faro of Pietradolce in Sicily. The Faro family have grown Sicilian citrus on the slopes of Mount Etna for generations.
The Limone contains lemon peel, gentian, cinchona, clove, oregano, elderflower, cinnamon and a range of secret family ingredients.
Italy482$78.00 As low as $70.20 -
Passopisciaro Passorosso Etna Rosso 2021More 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!
2019Nerello MascaleseItaly482$79.00 As low as $71.10 -
Cos Pithos Bianco 2022More 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!
2022Italy482$84.00 As low as $75.60 -
Apollonis Authentic Meunier Blanc de Noir Brut NVBased in the Marne Valley, this producer has a predominance of Pinot Meunier in many of its Champagnes. Winemaker Marie Petit Loriot plays the tanks music as the wine ferments. This fruity wine is vibrant, densely textured and at the dry end of Brut. WINE ENTHUSIASTNVChampagneFrance376$85.00 As low as $76.50 -
Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut NVMore 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!
ChampagneFrance376$86.00 As low as $77.40 -
Brimoncourt Regence NVA lightly toasty and flavorful Champagne with notes of praline, candied walnut, lemon peel and grilled orange. Fine bubbles. Pretty balance of toasty nut and zesty citrus. Dry feel. JAMES SUCKLINGNVChampagneFrance376$87.00 As low as $78.30 -
Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 2022Marvellous chardonnay. Flavoursome, flinty, fleshy and complete. Stonefruits and white flowers, cedarwood and meal, a quartz-like aspect and plenty of struck match. But harmonious at every single turn. And then there's the finish, which is seriously well sustained. One sip and I was convinced. The score could well be stingy. (95+) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com
The sort of wine that unravels with air, from a torque of initial restraint, to a more open weave. Fine contemporary chardonnay, delivered with a cooler climatic edge and Australia's typical clarity of fruit and suffusion of tension. Granitic. Sub-alpine. A meld that delivers gentle stone fruit allusions, kumquat and a seam of oak, impeccably integrated… NED GOODWIN MW, jamessuckling.comAussie winelovers need little prompting when it comes to elite Chardonnay from the Beechworth region which is home to some of our very best. This wine, mostly from the Mendoza clone, sees whole bunch pressing and a wild yeast ferment in new French oak, which is mostly 500-litre puncheons. A lean, pale yellow hue, this is obviously still very young, indeed almost raw, but it is certainly coming together. We have notes of citrus and cashews, with melon and peach. A minerally backing, juicy acidity and impressive length. This will be better in 12 months and should drink beautifully for the following five to six years, possibly considerably more. KEN GARGETT, winepilot.com
2022chardonnayAustralia407$88.00 As low as $79.20 -
Brocard Pierre Champagne 'Tradition' NVBrocard Pierre's entry-level and only blended-grape expression of Champagne, Cuvée Tradition Brut, spends three years on the lees in bottle before release, which in our opinion, makes it one of the best quality-for-value wine of Champagne.
The Tradition is made of Pinot Noir (80%), Chardonnay (10%) and Pinot Blanc (10%) grapes from vineyards planted on clay-calcareous soil near Celles-sur-Ource. 2018 vintage reserve wine makes up the dominant base, while 30% comes from different réserve vintages. The juice was fermented in oak (15%) and stainless steel (85%) at controlled temperature. The wine then spent 4 months in stainless steel, and it was aged on lees for 2.5 years. It has 6g/l of dosage.
A flattering nose dominated by the Pinot Noir. Good harmony in the mouth, strength associated with freshness but not heavy accompanied by a slightly mentholated finish. Ripe citrus. Unctuous mousse. Chalky, mineral and saline and mouth coating. Generous autolitic notes.
NVChampagneFrance376$89.00 As low as $80.10