Product Line
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Willie Smiths Pommeau de Tasmanie 18.2%
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
NVCalvadosFrance$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Duemani G. Punto Grenache 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!
2018GrenacheItaly495$360.00 As low as $324.00 -
Rive Droite Rive Gauche Cotes du Rhone 2020Rive Droite Rive Gauche simply means right bank, left bank and the name derives from fruit for the wine being sourced from both sides of the river - the grenache coming mainly from the left (gauche) and the Syrah from the village of Daumazan (on the rive droite), near Tavel. It is also a French film starring the rotund wine-nut actor Gerard Depardieu - fun fact!
This is a lovely fresh and crunchy styled Rhone from our friends at Rive Droite. There is touch of thyme and bay over red spiced fruits, layered with a little bit of red liquorice. This is a medium bodied rendition with a pure core of raspberry, wild strawberry and splash of black berry fruit in the mix. Its lithe with a lovely fresh cut to the sweet fruits that makes this look wonderfully elegant and damn easy to like.
2020Grenache, shirazFrance467$26.00 As low as $23.40 -
Barbier Clos Mogador 2016 1500ml2 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Keeping the classical profile, the 2016 Clos Mogador has been fine tuned, reducing the French grapes, and it matured approximately 18 months in oak foudre and barriques. There is a lively sensation on the palate, vivacious and with very fine tannins. It has a meaty touch and feels really young , despite the long élevage. There is a strong mineral sensation on the palate, something that is a texture and mouthfeel rather than a flavor. This is an unusual, fresh vintage. LUIS GUTIERREZ, Robert Parker2016GrenacheSpain459$460.00 As low as $414.00 -
Nick Spencer Gundagai Light Dry Red Blend 2021
No, this is not just another "Light Dry Red" playing to the recent fads but a serious nod to the 'Burgundies' of the 50's 60's and 70's which Nick Spencer is paying homage to. These were classic light-bodied Shiraz and Shiraz/ Pinot blends that emerged from the Hunter and are highly sort after now. They are back in fashion and tasting this it's not hard to understand why.
The style can be a little hit or miss and getting that combo of pinot and shiraz just right is critical, which Nick has done a brilliant job of here. A touch of sour cherry, cranberry and strawberries that plays off broodier black currant and blackberry fruit swirling around in the background. It's served on a palate that is crunchy and vibrant with lovely fine structure and soft melting tannins. Great poise between the fruit and other elements and while this is wonderfully easy to enjoy there is a plenty going on here that belies the seriousness of the wine.
While its ready to go now and easy to love if you put a couple of bottles away for just a couple of years or so I think you would be a very happy camper!
2017Cabernet Sauvignon, shiraz, tempranillo, TourigaAustralia494$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Yann Chave Crozes Hermitage Le Rouvre 2020There's a pleasant little blackcurrant jam note on the nose here. Lightly spiced, medium-bodied, juicy and with very fine tannins, there's a lovely sense of elegance in the wine, with very good acidity. Not as powerful as his cuvée classique, but a greater sense of finesse, balance and drinkability. Long finish. MATT WALLS, decanter.com
The bouquet brims with bright cassis fruit clad for now in smoky oak. The fruit pleases via a lingering coulis-style sweetness. The palate bears rolling richness, a fluid tone to the content, black berry fruits on display, the tannins ripe, layered. This holds good, proven fruit, its clear tenor appealing. From 2023, decant it. 2030-32 July 2021. JONATHON LIVINGSTONE-LEARMONTH, drinkrhone.com
2020shirazFrance467$105.00 As low as $94.50 -
Penfolds Grange 1994Dense red-purple; the typically rich and powerful bouquet has layers of dark berry fruit and integrated and balanced oak. What makes it unusual is the distinct hint of chocolate, which appears again on the silkily powerful palate. Here there is an array of all of the fruit flavours one could possibly expect, but once again that touch of dark Swiss chocolate adding an intriguing note. The oak balance and integration is better than any five-year-old Grange I can remember, the tannins perfectly balanced into the bargain. (97) BURGHOUND1994shirazAustralia349$1,300.00 As low as $1,170.00
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Ogier Cote Rotie Selection Lieux-Dits 2017
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!
2016shirazFrance467$1,795.00 As low as $1,615.50 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Rose 2021 375mlNever judge a book buy it's cover right? Mostly, you see the colour of this and you at least know you are on good footing to begin with. It's pale, like a blush of peach. Properly dry with a splash of sweet citrus, mandarin, ripe red grapefruit, a just tart orange aspect and then some lovely peach notes. All this is underpinned by a bright, clear, palate cleansing freshness and a nice pithy texture that licks at the sides of your mouth. It's long and energising, it both slackens the thirst with its buoyant, uplifting feel and engages the old taste buds and sets the salivary glands quivering. Who doesn't love Rose like this? It's so enjoyable to drink. ROSCOE2021Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$25.00 As low as $22.50
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Walsh & Sons Felix Shiraz 2021
Grown in the sandy, clay soils of our Osmington family vineyard. Planted in 1995 with rows running north to south on a slight northeast facing slope. The vineyard is certified biodynamic. We treat it like a veg patch, heavy compost in autumn and sheep snapping the odd wire as they browse in winter.
20% handpicked early April before machine harvesting 2-days later. The whole bunches added to vat, the machine component going on top, no crushing or destemming. Wild fermented on skins, until dry. Pressed to a mix of new & old French barrels. A single racking after the Spring equinox otherwise it sits on full lees until January, topping every two weeks. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation from Autumn to Spring giving a natural CO2 cover during maturation. The wine remains undisturbed with minimal sulphur added prior to bottling in February. High-quality, smaller corks provide a more drinkable style through bottle aging. The wine is unfined & unfiltered so may present some harmless deposits in the bottle.2021shirazAustralia504$37.00 As low as $33.30 -
Coursodon St Joseph Silice 2020
The 2020 Saint Joseph Silice comes from a mix of hillside vineyards and is brought up in barrique and demi-muid for 12 months. A fabulous introduction into the wines of this terrific estate, it has a plump, medium to full-bodied, expansive mouthfeel as well as loads of darker fruits, notes of spice box, pepper, and leather, no hard edges, and a great finish. It should drink nicely right out of the gate yet have over a decade or longevity. JEB DUNNUCK
2020shirazFrance467$85.00 As low as $76.50 -
Alvaro Palacios Camins Vins Vells Priorat Garnacha 2021Vibrant, youthful and brambly nose that is very fruit-expressive, with lots of red cherries, pomegranate, potpourri and hints of oyster-shell minerality and coffee that extend to a crunchy, medium-bodied palate, framed by juicy, fresh tannins. Bright, silky and unassumingly approachable now. Drink through to 2025. JAMES SUCKLING
The more modern and different 2021 Camins del Priorat, a blend of 40% Garnacha, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 15% Cariñena and 6% Syrah, is a little more balsamic with some herbal notes and some dusty tannins. It's powerful with 14.5% alcohol and has good balance. This fermented 100% destemmed in concrete and stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak barrels and vats for six months. LUIS GUTIERREZ, Robert Parker2021GrenacheSpain459$77.00 As low as $69.30 -
Ogier Cote Rotie Belle Helene 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!
2018shirazFrance467$1,050.00 As low as $945.00 -
P & A Vin de France Grenache Syrah 2021The P & A wines are from our friend and Burgundy madman Nicolas Potel. These are the wines that epitomise the term vin-de-soif. These are absolutely gluggable, definitely chillable and straight-up delicious fair from the southern reached of France where Nicolas, via is network of winemaking legends sources fruit from top growers.
This little beauty is crafted by Potel's partner in crime Stephane Aviron who brings his consdiderable talents to the table. there is an elegance and purity to the wine with underlying terroir drive that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who tried Nicola or Stephane's wines.
Wafts of raspberries, black plums and sweet spices lure you in. The core is a vibrant and buoyant mass of black and red berries, wrapped in an elegant framework. Subtle notes of rosemary come from a thoughtful use of whole bunch. This overdelivers hands down on its humble price point, no need to second guess here. GABRIELLE POY2021Grenache, shirazFrance358 -
Hobo Wine Camp Folk Machine Parts and Labour Red 2022This is the second vintage that Grenache has dominated the P&L blend. The 2022 is a blend of Grenache from Mangels Ranch in Suisun Valley, Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco, and Waddington Ranch in Mendocino, Carignane from Lolonis, Maria Martinson, and Castañon all in Mendocino, and Syrah from Vecino in Potter Valley. There is a good amount of whole cluster and carbonic maceration through the lots keeping everything fresh and fun. As always, the blend was made immediately after harvest and the wine was aged in a combination of French oak foudres and stainless steel tanks.
Oh yum! This is such a joy to drink. A cracking drop here from the legend that is Kenny likitprakong of Hobo. He was telling us that this was his house wine. The one that he has cases of to rip the corks off when mates come round, the BBQ fires up and a long warm weekend is about a kick off and we can see why. This is hard to put down once it's in your glass.
It's all about the red fruits here with fresh picked red cherry and raspberry all vying for position at the front of the pack. Some pretty violet notes swirl around and as this opens up some savoury whole black peppercorn and foresty bits make themselves heard. Its lithe and fresh bursting onto the palate with that core of red berry fruit. Clean and pure just sizzling with energy. A joy to drink and would happily take a brief chill if you were so inclined.
2022Barbera, Carignan, Grenache, shirazUSA362$46.00 As low as $43.00 -
Mont Redon Chateauneuf du Pape La Plateau 2017
The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape le Plateau—the only one of these four vintages to be bottled—is velvety and forward, with notes of ripe cherries, cedar, vanilla and mocha. It's full-bodied, but not overbearingly tannic, making it approachable already. Only the second vintage to be produced, it's a 60-40 blend of Grenache and Syrah that matured in a mix of tanks and new barrels. JOE CZERWINSKI, The Wine Advocate
In the same ballpark, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Plateau comes only from the Mont Redon plateau and is a limited release based on 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah brought up in a mix of used and new barrels. Its saturated purple color is followed by a rocking bouquet of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, violets, and crushed rocks. With plenty of background oak, terrific depth of fruit, full body, and ripe, present tannins, it’s another balanced, age-worthy effort from this estate that should be snatched up by readers. Give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. (93-95) JEB DUNNUCK
Made in small volumes only in the best years, this comes from plots chosen on the famed Le Plateau de Mont-Redon, the high plateau of galets roules, (large round stones) that makes this one of the most prized terroirs in the appellation. These large stones up to 2 metres deep combine with fine safre (sandy soil) over thin layers of clay which provide important water holding capacity providing an ideally moderate supply of water. The plateau sits high and is exposed to the sun and the Mistral wind giving an optimal ripeness and sanitary state for the vineyard.Made from parcels of Grenache (63 % planted 1940s) and Syrah (31 % planted 1950s-1960s) and 6 % Mourvèdre. Hand harvested and 100% destemmed with 2-3 days of cold maceration and skin contact of 15-20 days during which extraction is performed mostly by punching down the cap of the ferments. Elevage of 40 % in stainless steel and 60 % in barrels (50 % new) for 18 months, the selected parcels are blended and aged on fine lees for a further 10 months in tank before bottling. Immense ageing capacity giving a wine which shows the quintessence of the older vines of Le Plateau de Mont-Redon.
2017GrenacheFrance467$380.00 As low as $342.00 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Cotes de Provence Rose 2022 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!
2022Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
Place of Changing Winds Heathcote Syrah 2021
The reason the POCW folks went to this vineyard was for the syrah, this being the first of the releases solely from this site, from a singular year.
Very floral in the perfume, violets and lavender, whiffs of eucalyptus and loads of raspberry, cherry and strawberry, in a fog of scent too. Lots of concentration to taste but with a glossy wash of acidity under the tart red cherry, game meat, dried herbs and white pepper characters. Beautiful flavours, fine, satiny tannins, great extension of flavour, a cool, minty finish. Spot on medium weight fragrant and spicy style. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front
2021shirazAustralia405$59.00 -
Casa Rojo Enemigo Mio Garnacha 2021
100% Garnacha from a single 4-hectare vineyard at the foot of the Sierra de La Pila, just in front of the winery The age of the vineyard is 5 years old and it is 100% property with north orientation and fresh clay soil.
Crushed raspberry and wild bracken with a hint of charry earthy that provides a counterpoint to the fresh fruit. A lovely combo of sweet and savoury that follows on the palate with a playful back and fourth between the clean red fruits and wild cherry notes. Firm and snappy with a fine cut to the tannins.
2021GrenacheSpain411$49.00 As low as $44.10 -
Wanted Man 'White Label' Shiraz 2011
Single vineyard shiraz from Heathcote. White Label.
Developing steadily. Game, leather and leaf matter with a peppery, drying finish. Not unripe but slight in its overall profile. CAMPBELL MATTINSON
2009shirazAustralia404$20.00 As low as $18.00 -
Head Wines Old Vine Grenache 2022Raspberry, cherry, almond, a little spice, dried rose perfume, incense and aniseed. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and red fruited, distinctly nutty with hazelnut and almond, lovely fine crunch to acidity, dense but silky emery board tannin, and a finish of impeccable length. It’s a superb expression of old vine Grenache, and so beautifully made. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2022GrenacheAustralia349$40.00 As low as $36.00
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Pierre Gaillard St Joseph Rouge 2021 1500ml3 BOTTLES AVAIALABLE
Currants, freshly ground black pepper and cold ashes on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins. Well-balanced and harmonious with bright fruit character at the center and a vibrant core of violets and succulent dark cherries. Precise with a long finish. Drink or hold. jamessuckling.com2021shirazFrance467$190.00 As low as $171.00 -
Ogier Cote Rotie Selection Lieux-Dits 2018 (nine bottles)Pack contains one bottle each of 2018 - Cotie Rotie from:
Fongeant
Montmain
Leyat
La Vialliere
Bertholon
LA Champon
Cognet
Cote Bodin
But de Mont2018shirazFrance467$3,500.00 As low as $3,150.00 -
Yann Chave Crozes Hermitage 2021An intense and animal nose with dark cherries, smoke, grilled meat, game, wet earth, bark and loads of cloves. The palate is medium-bodied with silky texture and fine tannins. It’s restrained and juicy with control and elegance that contrasts with the intense nose. Crunchy finish with bright acidity. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. JAMES SUCKLING
Tasted blind. Youthful and primary with a delicate sweet violet and crushed blackberry nose. A soft palate with moderate fruit concentration – spice, violet, zesty acid and attractive fruit. Lightweight and easy early drinking. JANCISROBINSON.COM2021shirazFrance467$76.00 As low as $68.40 -
Yann Chave Hermitage 2021
Dark purple core and hue. Generous nose offering some new oak, smoked meat, fresh blackberry, raspberry, sage and mint. Medium towards full palate, a slightly cooler and restrained style but well balanced with digest dark fruit, a garrigue-like spiciness, rounded extract and digest young fruit flavours leading to a long and fresh finish…ANDREAS LARSSON, Best Sommelier of the World 2007
Smoked meats, violets and vanilla spice on the nose. The framework of tannins envelopes the medium bodied fruit, there’s lovely definition and great clarity to the fruit this vintage - vines of nearly 50 years of age grown organically from the lieux-dits Beaumes and Peleat. It’s a finer styling, heady on spices and freshness, gliding tannins round out the wine. GABRIELLE POY
2021shirazFrance467$375.00 As low as $337.50 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Cotes de Provence Rose 2022A lovely lift of red cherries, pomegranate and white nectarines leads into a fleshy and textured core. Subtle herbal tones of fennel and dried thyme and wild strawberries join in the chorus too. There's presence and intensity thanks to the riper 2022 vintage, balanced by a spine of chalky acidity. Pleasing phenolics on the finish add a tantalising chew, like biting through peach skins. A hint of white pepper to finish adds a twist (reminds me of adding pepper to strawberries, shouldn't work but it does!). Keep this delightful thirst slaker on hand this summer. GABRIELLE POY, PWS
2022Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$49.00 As low as $44.10 -
Coursodon St Joseph Silice 2021
Younger syrah vines planted on schist and granite at the top of Mauves
The 2021 Saint Joseph Silice is also beautiful, with a round, supple, layered style that shines in the vintage. Black raspberries, spice box, dried flowers, and hints of violets give way to a medium-bodied, up-front, charming, layered 2021 that certainly stands out in the vintage. JEB DUNNUCKComplex nose of black pepper, fresh sage and thyme with restrained wild blackberry fruit. Still tightly wound but with intense stony minerality, this is an exciting wine ... Long very straight, clean finish. Drink or hold. STUART PIGGOT
Tasted blind. Ripe fruits on the nose, blackcurrant, blackberry, gravel, tar and sweet spice. The palate is silky with supple tannins, sweet ripe fruit, grilled meat and good concentration of fruit. Ripe, structured and should age well. ALISTAIR COOPER MW
2021shirazFrance467$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Coursodon St Joseph l'Olivaie 2021
From a steep lieux dits, L’oliveie at the top of St Jean de Muzols from syrah vines planted in the 1940s on shallow granite soils
The 2021 Saint Joseph L'Olivaie is rock-solid, offering pretty darker cherry and fresh fig-like notes as well as spice, game, and flowery incense nuances. This medium-bodied, supple, nicely balanced, and textured effort has outstanding potential and will certainly drink nicely right out of the gate. JEB DUNNUCKTasted blind. Perfumed nose, violet, rose petal, damp earth and black pepper. Good fresh acidity and a tightly wound core of dark fruits with a smoked ashy note – pepper, spice and good intensity of dark fruits. Vibrant and robust, fine tannic structure should see this age very well. ALISTAIR COOPER MW
2021shirazFrance467$130.00 As low as $117.00 -
Domaine Font de Courtedune Chateauneuf du Pape 2021Domaine Font de Courtedune – for now, at least – is something of an insider’s secret. With vineyards right next door to Château Rayas, and sharing the same sandy soils, this tiny Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate produces outstanding wines that are a fraction of the price of those of its famous neighbour. The vineyards have long been owned by the Charrier family, but the fruit was sold to the local co-operative until 1997, when René Charrier established the domaine. Today his children Caroline and Frédéric are in charge.
Everything here is joyously traditional. The old vines (some of which are over 100 years old) are all farmed sustainably, with as little intervention as possible; a philosophy that follows through into the winery. Everything is whole-bunch, fermented and aged in concrete vats, with no oak to be found in the winery at all. They work almost exclusively with Grenache, with just a splash of Mourvèdre, Counoise, Cinsault, and Terret Noir to add extra spice and body to the wines.
An outstanding 2021 Chateauneuf ethereal and fresh, super sleek and wonderfully pretty. It's all about the pure fruit, lilting, sweet cherries, crushed raspberry and a touch of white pepper spice sprinkled in all the right spots. Lovely wine.
2021GrenacheFrance467Special Price $90.00 Regular Price $110.00 -
Yeringberg Shiraz 2021
Vines planted in 1999. About 6% whole bunch. 30% new oak.
Plum and cherry, cracked pepper, hazelnut, Turkish apricot and musk stick, with a little cedar oak. It’s plum and plummy, a grainy grip to tannin, balanced acidity, nutty with something of a toffee flavour, with a clip of oak on a finish of good length. Still a little elemental, but good. Needs a couple more years of cellaring. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2021shirazAustralia506$110.00 As low as $99.00 -
Koerner The Clare 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!
2022GrenacheAustralia$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Domaine Font de Courtedune Cotes du Rhone Village 2022Regional specificity in the key here, upfront, personable and loaded with charm. It's great drinking and just the right speed for day to day consumption. Red and dark fruits aplenty. Wafts of spice and touches of grit from the tannin. Nice push across the palate where the perky acidity keeps that generosity in check. Hints of dried herbs and flowers appear on the nose and touch the palate from time to time. Really, this is such a lovely wine. A little larger in size than last year's rendition but that's a good thing, adds a little more cuddle. ROSCOE
(On the 2019) Light, fresh raspberry aromas, with a touch of cherry. Fresh and precise. Only medium-bodied, this is very drinkable. A light mineral touch brings further freshness to the finish, which is surprisingly long for a Côtes-du-Rhône. Not overly fat or heavy. This is a steal - a delicious Côtes-du-Rhône. MATT WALLS, Decanter
2022GrenacheFrance467$45.00 As low as $40.50 -
Duseigneur La Goutte du Seigneur Cotes du Rhone 2022
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah farmed organically. The name of this cuvee is a nod to the Duseigneur family name that means "Drop of the Lord". Vines of 30 years old with an average yield of around 30hl/ha. 2 weeks of maceration in a concrete tank. No oak aging. Fragrant nose of wild strawberries, red plum, cherries and spices. Fresh and charming style of Cotes du Rhone. Medium bodied and elegant Cotes du Rhone. Beautiful mid palate with fresh black and red berries. A wonderfully thirst quenching and refreshing wine!
2022Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazFrance467$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Swinney Farvie Grenache 2022
Nice to have this wine back in town after an absence in 2021. The power and concentration of the vineyard and the style is immediately evident. The intensity strikes immediately on the nose, while once the wine starts to roll across your palate you know you in a head zone of great power. It was a warm and concentrated vintage. Brilliant crimson colour with a bright luminosity and brilliant purity that lifts effortlessly from the glass. Floral notes with a dried herbie sage bush character engages immediately. Dry chalky tannins with a trace of minerally iron filings. It’s vibrant and fleshy with real volume of flavour. Continues to mark its turf as an Australian classic. (98) RAY JORDAN
Now that Farvie is a trio, and not a duo, and the Mourvèdre sits neatly in between the Grenache and Syrah in terms of hue, timbre and attitude, this Grenache seems more succulent, fragrant and blushingly attractive than ever. It is imperceptibly lighter, more rhubarb and pomegranate-tinged and creamier than ever. The colour is a crimson and carmine amalgam, and the nose is akin to a stroll through an Amazonian arboretum. It is sexy, and it knows it, and before it gets too lascivious, on cue, it firms up, dries out and ends with a vicious lick of stern acidity. After such a lavish welcome, this finish is fantastic because it snaps your senses to attention and reminds you that while Farvie Grenache is a consummate charmer, beneath the surface, it is a weaponised wine with extraordinary skill. (19+/20) MATTHEW JUKES2022shirazAustralia400$170.00 As low as $153.00 -
Swinney Farvie Mourvedre 2022
Having fallen head over heels with this wine in the 2021 vintage, my stomach was in knots when I approached the 2022 in Perth. Would ‘second album syndrome’ strike? Not a chance. This wine’s fanfare is all-encompassing, with an epic nose that is striking, fruit-packed and sophisticated. There are abundant rose petals, plum and red cherry notes, and sensual waves of florality and bounteous juiciness are countered by intense, brittle minerality. The acid line scours the palate with masochistic striations that form the tramlines on which this wine delivers its message with tireless accuracy. And then you notice that something is missing. Unlike virtually every other mesmeric Mourvèdre on earth, oak is seemingly missing. Of course, this is an illusion because behind every cache of flavour molecules sits a silent oak nuance, hidden from view but doing the covert task of adding grandeur and detail without craving any credit. This is another jaw-dropping wine, and it stands a chance of running a longer race than the 2021, too, so be sure to secure your stock. (19.5+/20), MATTHEW JUKES
The second iteration of this wine (tasted pre-release), which is quickly rising to icon status in Swinney’s portfolio. Tiny production from bushvines, the fruit is harvested in three passes wild fermented in whole bunches and matured in old oak. Currently tightly wound and holding its cards close to its chest, its starry journey ahead is clear. Vibrant, densely knit dark black plum aromas with a jewel-like clarity, along with violets, star anise, eucalypt, heady ferrous notes and crushed earth. Tannins might be tight and bunched up in their youth, but they are chalky and fine in structure, and the long line of delicate acidity helps deliver waves of flavour long after the last sip. Complex, vivacious and nuanced; a new Mourvèdre benchmark has been set. (98) CASSANDRA CHARLICK, Decanter
This is the second vintage of the Farvie Mourvedre and takes the excellent ’21 up a notch. It has a dry, savoury and slightly ferruginous rusty nail character offsetting the sweet floral notes on the nose. The palate is a superb interpretation of the variety in these Frankland soils. There is a slightly greater volume of fruit than ’21, bit it retains the same Old-World charm and expression. Chalky tannins and balanced use of oak. Tasted this about 4 months apart and already the shy middle palate I first saw has started to unfurl. Energy and vibrancy set this apart. A worthy addition to the Farvie triumvirate. (98) RAY JORDAN
2022shirazAustralia400$170.00 As low as $153.00 -
John Duval Annexus Grenache 2022From Stonegarden vineyard, planted in 1858. 300 cases made. Raspberry, red cherry, mint nougat, floral too, with something a little more stony in play. It’s medium-bodied, almond and red fruit, fine pumice stone tannin, mint and sage, succulent but controlled, with a slightly warm raspberried finish of excellent length. Very good. MIKE BENNIE2021GrenacheAustralia349$63.00 As low as $56.70
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MMAD Grenache 2022
This is ballistically good. I doubt that I’ll taste anything much better from these shores over the next 12 months. The first thing you notice is the plushness, which is always welcome, but it’s the finish that takes things to eleven. Wow, really, this wine has a show-stopping finish on it. It’s blessed with red and blue berry flavours, cedarwood, roasted spice and earth, but itemising the flavours of this wine kind of misses the point. It’s like focussing on the colour of a tidal wave. The complete and utter command of the final flourish of flavour and tannin here feels, as you swallow, like a high water mark. I’m sold, totally sold, on this wine. (97) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
2022GrenacheAustralia436$77.00 As low as $69.30 -
MMAD Shiraz 2022
If you’re lucky, and most of us aren’t, there comes a time in your life when it all comes together. I suspect that’s what’s happened with this Blewitt Springs vineyard, planted in the middle of the Second World War, and the collection of wine people behind MMAD, all of whom have weathered a lot of summers in a lot of places in the pursuit of wine excellence. This wine tastes of a lot of right decisions, and of a lot of time spent in the journey to them. It has texture, balance, flavour and all that, but as my mum would say, ‘any dumb bunny can do that’. More importantly, what this wine has is all the nods and winks. I once wrote, a long time ago, of a moment where union legend David Campese ran straight through a bunch of defenders without breaking stride, or altering course. He did something, something that couldn’t be seen, and made the impossible look effortless. So too here. It has degrees of silk, fruit enough, a spinnaker on the finish, a volume of nuance. If there was such a thing for single vineyard, vintage, Aussie shiraz, this wine would be classified as first growth. (97) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
2022shirazAustralia436$77.00 As low as $69.30 -
Michael Hall Mount Torrens Adelaide Hills Syrah 2021 1500ml1 AVAIALABLE
A 480m site in Mount Torrens. Loam and clay over quartz and ironstone substrata. Hand picked, 100% whole bunches, fermented spontaneously before maturation in French oak (31% new) for 20 months. While I can sense the dill pickle of the stems, there is such depth of fruit and long-limbed grape tannins that I have no doubt the verdancy will be absorbed in time. Cornas-like. Wild and woolly. Ferrous, bloody, olive pasted and laden with smoky, spiced meats. A very good wine in an embryonic phase. Put this away for five to eight years. (95) NED GOODWIN, Halliday Wine Companion
Ink black core with a deep purple rim. Mulberry, dried woody herbs and black pepper aromatics. Medium to full, dark fruits on entry but this is built as a savoury wine. Curing meat, ironstone, iodine and dark spices with dried woody herbs all meld across the palate, grainy tannins accentuate the depth and it rolls long and dark to the finish. STUART KNOX, The Real Review2021shirazAustralia349$140.00 As low as $126.00 -
Luke Lambert Syrah 2023
80% whole bunch, and in 2023, picked a month later than the 2022.
Dark cherry and blue fruits, plenty of spice, black olive and grilled meat. It’s medium-bodied, spicy and perfumed, meaty too, with a surprisingly intense burst of ‘minerally’ acidity through its core. Tannin is all crushed rock and sooty goodness, and the finish is long and savoury and stalky. Very good. (95) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
Beautifully poised, cool expression of shiraz with concentrated but elegant dark cherry fruit and a subtle overlay of spice. A very good follow-up to the excellent 2022, which is drinking beautifully now. MAX ALLEN, The Financial Review
This year, 80% whole bunches were included. In the crucial early days of vinification, Rosalind foot stomps the ferments three times a day to ensure each berry is quickly but gently popped, maximising the juice’s exposure to skins and stalks. Ferments are fast, and the wine is promptly pressed, settled and racked to 5000-litre foudre for maturation. This is such a composed, vivid young Syrah. Expect bright perfume, spice and dark berries woven through delicious earthy, stony elements. It’s slick, expressive and super long; world-class Syrah at an attainable price!2022shirazAustralia506$54.00 As low as $48.60 -
Yeringberg Shiraz 2014 Museum Release
Shiraz from one of Australia’s greatest estates.
You name it, it’s here. This is the antithesis of a simple red. Every time you sip you find something different. It runs with redcurrant but from there come breakouts of meat, violets, black pepper, jellied liquorice, stems and mint. Tannin is grunty, almost grainy, with cloves and peppers studded through. The texture generally is quite silken but the wine as a whole does not go quietly, as indeed it shouldn’t. Beyond a certain price point we want more than mere fruit; the brief is met here. Excellent wine. For the dinner table, we sail. 93+ points. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
2013shirazAustralia506$140.00 As low as $126.00 -
Domaine du Tunnel St Joseph 2022Made from grapes grown on vines with an average age of 40 years from the villages of Tournon-sur-Rhône, Mauves and Glun, the 2022 Saint-Joseph offers riper fruit and more structure than the 2021. Vivid red and black cherry, violets and leafy subtleties rise up from the glass. Medium-bodied, polished and concentrated, the 2022 should come together nicely. NICOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous2022shirazFrance467$125.00 As low as $112.50
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Domaine du Tunnel Cornas 2022
STAFF PICKS 2024 - SARA TORRES
When you open a bottle of Domaine du Tunnel you know that you are opening the door of the purity and terroir. Cornas 2022 is delicate, with lighter body than other producers from the area but with all the intensity and complexity. On the palate is delicate, full of blueberries, graphite, raw meet and spices. If you close your eyes, you can see a purple and velvet cake in a glass of wine. Simply delicious. SARA TORRES
The 2022 Cornas brings another level of density and depth, and while tasting it, you feel like you're eating a raw piece of meat given its bloody, meaty, profile. Dense purple-hued, with notes of blueberries, roasted herbs, iron, and ground pepper, this beauty is full-bodied, has a silky, layered mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a great finish. It's a big, powerful Cornas, yet it still shows the focused style of the vintage beautifully. (96) JEB DUNNUCKA well-balanced, velvety and well-rounded Cornas with aromas of wild berries, wild herbs and baking spices. It's medium-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced with a seductive core of succulent berries and a well-integrated structure of tannins on the palate. Focused and vivid, with some more peppercorns toward the finish. Try after 2026. JAMES SUCKLING
2022shirazFrance467$175.00 As low as $157.50 -
Domaine du Tunnel Cornas Pur Noir 2022Bold and persistent, the 2022 Cornas Pur Noir dazzles right from the start. Ripe red and black fruits, cedar, crushed violets and licorice are front and center. Showcasing a juicy core of succulent fruits within an intricate web of polished tannins, this is shaping up to be a terrific Cornas. A complex finish rounds it all up. (92 - 95) NICOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous2022shirazFrance467$430.00 As low as $387.00
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Yann Chave Hermitage 2022
An impressive wine, broad, textural and layered, with such brightness at the center. Dark cherries, blueberries, violets, grilled meat, dried herbs, ashes and warm spices on the nose. It's full-bodied with finely grained tannins. There is a brightness at the center, with crunchy blue fruit and violets mingling with the spices under the watch of a solid frame of finely grained tannins. Structured and harmonious on the broad, dense, textural and focused palate. Such intensity and drive, always in control and with a very refined texture. So much depth and layers funneling trough a vibrant, spicy, flavorful and very long finish. (98) STUART PIGGOT, jamessuckling.com
The 2022 Hermitage will be terrific, if not up with the finest from this estate. Darker currants, roasted meats, leather, and peppery spice notes all define the aromatics, and it's a big, broad-shouldered Hermitage with terrific mid-palate density, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. JEB DUNNUCK, jebdunnuck.com
Wild strawberry and thyme notes make for a fairly light, perfumed style. Has some concentration of fruit, with more blackberry on the palate and cassis. Smooth tannins, well-balanced acidity and low alcohol, this is a charming and approachable style of Hermitage that can be enjoyed in its youth. MATT WALLS, decanter.com
The 2022 Hermitage bursts with prominent orange blossom, crushed violets, wood spice, blackcurrant and splashes of espresso. Majestic and bold, it hits the palate with elevated flavor concentration and remarkable intensity. If all comes together as it should, the 2022 will turn into a Hermitage of real substance and class. NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous2022shirazFrance467$425.00 As low as $382.50 -
Le Roc Des Anges Segna de Cor 2021Segna de Cor is almost exactly Roc des Anges spelled backwards. Its 40% Grenache Noir, 30% Carignan, 30% Syrah from vines 30 to 40 years old on average and a blend of about 20 small parcels on schists. Organic, mostly destemmed and fermented with ambient yeast in closed concrete tanks for 7 days, then pressed and racked back to tank to finish fermentation. No temperature control. No punching down or pump overs. Aged in tank for approximately 10 months. No fining, light filtration. Total sulfur at bottling 30 to 50ppm. Held for several months in bottle before release.2021Carignan, Grenache, shirazFrance418$58.00 As low as $52.20
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Jean Louis Tribouley l'Alba Tribouley 2020
Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Organic viticulture, hand harvest. Blend of different plots on gneiss soils with 8-11 months of elevage. No fining, filtration or additions.
2020Carignan, Grenache, shirazFrance418$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Coume del Mas 'Schistes’ Collioure AOP Rouge 2020100% old vine Grenache from about 30 different parcels with the fruit is hand-sorted, destemmed, and fermented in stainless steel with nine months in tank. Coume del Mas was created in 2001 by Philippe and Nathalie Gard, modern pioneers of Roussillon. In the early 2000s was Andy Cook who took up the head winemaking role. The15 hectare holdings are composed of gnarly old vines centered around Banyuls-sur-Mer and Collioure.2020GrenacheFrance419$82.00 As low as $73.80