So, as we do, we are kicking off the first of the premium packs with a selection of six white from some of our favourite up-and-coming producers.

Let’s start with Werkstatt and Foreign Friends — two of the newest names on the scene, both making seriously exciting wines. The wines from Foreign Friends, the project of siblings Leila and Crystal alongside their friend Juliette, were the final addition to this year’s packs but quickly became one of our favourites. Barely a few years in, these three are already crafting pristine, expressive wines that punch well above their weight. Bridget Mac of Werkstatt has made a bold leap from a design career into wine, and while she may be new to the craft, her debut releases show remarkable precision, and character — any one of them could have earned a spot here.

Praeter Wines is now the full-time focus of Matt Large, formerly of Barolo and Shaw + Smith fame. With a deep winemaking background and a grounded Aussie sensibility, Matt’s wines balance elegance with heart. In the Hunter, Ollie Margan represents the next generation at the iconic Margan Estate, drawing on family wisdom while injecting his own modern flair. His exploration of alternative varieties is paying off beautifully — his Albariño is a standout, full of freshness and energy.

We round things out with an international flourish, featuring Xavier Weisskopf and the Paquet siblings of Famille Paquet in the Mâcon. After a meteoric rise, including a stint at one of the Rhône’s most prestigious estates, Xavier has poured his passion into reviving a forgotten Loire gem, crafting wines that are deeply textured and true to place. Meanwhile, Jean-Baptiste, Mathieu, and Camille Paquet continue their family’s proud legacy in southern Burgundy, producing terroir-driven wines of purity, personality, and undeniable charm.

XAVIER WEISSKOPF 

The 2021 Montlouis-sur-Loire Le Grand Clos has generosity and a come-hither side to its personality. However, the natural acidity of this later-ripening, clay-based parcel, 91-year-old vines and the 2021 vintage means that there's a vivid line of acidity that trips through the wine, providing direction and energy. Fully dry, it leaves the drinker with a sense of uprightness. It has some richness from barrel-aging (500-liter barrels, 30% new), which lends a sweet, creamy aspect. REBECCA GIBB MW, Vinous 

Xavier Weisskopf, the wunderkind of the Loire, has quickly emerged as one of the region’s most exciting talents. After a meteoric rise to Chef de Cave at Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas, Xavier struck out on his own with Rocher de Viollettes, reviving a historic property in Montlouis. Since arriving, he has focused on restoring and converting the old vineyards to organic practices, preserving pre-WWII plantings while expanding the estate to over 17 hectares. Today, Xavier crafts wines that showcase both the Loire’s underappreciated terroirs and the remarkable potential of its old vines.

I’d like to introduce you to one of the future stars of French viticulture: Xavier Weisskopf. JACQUELINE FREIDRICH, Guide to the Loire. 

BRIDGET MAC

Gewürz is super well suited to the high alpine, super cool Darling Estate vineyard at Whitlands, which supplied the grapes for this wine. It's fine boned and delicately delivered, delightfully so, with a spiciness that jumps out of the glass. Aromas of musky florals, lychee, rose petal, tangerine and candied ginger. Builds on the palate and just keeps on going, replete in apple, citrus, high aromatics, spring florals and that gorgeous, lasting spiciness. Essentially off-dry in style, matched to bright acidity. Bring on the Thai food. (95) JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion

Fruit comes from Darling Estate in Whitfield, King Valley. Twelve hours skin contact, pressed off, left to mellow in stainless steel, a whisper of residual sugar to set things alight.

It’s a ripper. Length, presence, so much spice, the exotic things of the variety, lychee, pink grapefruit, talc, briny minerality, a glossy, light honeycomb note. It sits compact and tense in the palate, almost vibrating with energy, precision through the piercing, extended finish. The sleek, wound up nature of the wine is something else – rarely do you see gewurz do this, unless you’re drinking upper echelon. Ipso… (95) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

A talented young winemaker whose experience with Lethbridge and Chatto has shaped her precise, European-inspired approach. Working mainly from Mount Gambier’s limestone and volcanic soils, she crafts vibrant, textural wines with purity and tension at their core. She doesn't make alot of wine and we pretty much bought everything she made so that is saying something.

MATTHEW LARGE

Blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Savagnin from the Magpie Block in the Southern Fleurieu region.

This is a wine of texture, presence and (fruit) power. It’s a beautifully composed wine, with plenty of flavour and interest through the course of the palate and then a sound, well-sustained finish. It tastes of tonic water and fleshy stonefruit with fennel and nashi pear characters tossed through. It’s very good, if not better than that. (94) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

Matt Large founded Praeter in 2018, after building his winemaking experience in Australia and completing a vintage in Barolo in 2017. Originally managed alongside consulting roles, by late 2024 Matt made the leap to focus solely on Praeter — handing in his senior-winemaker position at Shaw + Smith to pursue his passion full-time. Praeter is driven by Matt’s deep fascination with Nebbiolo and terroir-driven wines. Working with fruit from Australia’s Pyrenees and Adelaide Hills, as well as parcels in the Langhe (Italy), he crafts wines that blend European finesse with Australian vibrancy.

OLLIE MARGAN

BEST VALUE - The juice underwent indigenous fermentation on light solids in a mix of old French puncheons and concrete tanks. A riper expression of albariño, though no less enjoyable. It's a fabulous, textural wine with intense flavours and gentle spice. Notes of green papaya, mandarin and orange blossom, with a little lively warmth on the close. Serve well chilled to enhance tension on the palate. (95) TONI PATERSON, Halliday Wine Companion

Margan Wines, one of the Hunter Valley’s most respected estates, is now embracing a new generation of leadership with Ollie Margan stepping up to play a central role. While maintaining the family’s commitment to quality and site expression, Ollie is bringing fresh energy and precision to both vineyard and cellar. His approach blends respect for Margan’s rich history with a focus on crafting wines that reflect the unique terroirs of the region. The result is a range of wines that are elegant, expressive, and firmly anchored in the estate’s legacy of excellence.

This Albarino is a sign of the next gen making their mark and taking a different path and challenging some of the traditional ideas of the region. It's a very convincing version of the varietal, deftly handeled by Ollie and pretty delicious to boot! 

LEILA & CRYSTAL DAVIS and  JULIETTE MENNETEAU

A relatively new but very exciting project that finds sisters Leila and Crystal, and good pal Juliette, combining forces on winemaking and grape sourcing. Wish I could find or knew their last names, but I guess asking that question was beyond me at time of review on a Sunday. I like their wines very much. High drinkability. Lots of charm. I might be a total drongo but feels impossible to see where the alcohol level is on the label.

This has the succulence, richness and depth of the variety with a cool, fresh finish and a general sense of slipperiness and ripeness. Tonic water, green pear, apple, ginger, cumin, some ginger beer and cider. Some pleasing, very varietal saltiness in the mix. An elegant, medium to fuller weight wine of immense character and charisma. (93) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

The signature grape of the Jura finds a new home in the King Valley and does a mighty-fine job of it, too. It's fully concentrated in flavour and impressive in personality with some budding complexity building in its youth. Preserved lemon, grapefruit pith, peach, apple and gentle jasmine florals. But it's the spice that catches your attention, together with the overall warmth and generosity of the wine. (93) JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion

Foreign Friends is a boutique wine project founded by sisters Leila and Crystal with French friend Juliette, based in Beechworth, Victoria, and launched in 2023. They source high-altitude, granite-soiled blocks around the region including from further afield in the Yarra and King Valley. They craft expressive small-batch wines with a strong sense of place and minimal intervention that are pure, expressive and have a real understanding of what they are making and how to achive those ends. Their inaugural releases have already drawn attention for their texture, natural energy and purity. We were certainly impressed and the wines showcase a maturity and finesse beyond the project’s relatively young age.

JEAN-BAPTISTE, MATHIEU, CAMILLE PAQUET 

A bright, refreshing white with crisp orchard fruit and citrus notes, underpinned by a delicate minerality. The palate is vibrant and focused, with a gentle texture and balanced acidity that carries flavors of green apple, pear, and subtle white flowers. This is a precise and approachable Mâcon, showing both immediate charm and the potential to develop further nuance over the next few years.

Famille Paquet in the Mâcon has been producing elegant, terroir-driven wines for decades, grounded in a deep respect for the vineyards. Today, the next generation is stepping up, bringing fresh energy and modern insights while honoring the family’s traditional approach. Their focus remains on expressing the character of each site, with meticulous vineyard work and careful winemaking. This combination of heritage and youthful ambition is shaping some of the most compelling wines to come from the region.