Westpac Wine Night 2024
Maybe its easiest to start with who and what we are not! We are not a supermarket, discount chain, lowest-common-denominator liquor outlet. In some ways we are not even a retailer who could be selling anything; tyres, widgets or beanie boos! We can only sell one thing…WINE!
What we are is an independently owned wine merchant, driven by our collective passion to source and share some of the greatest wines in the world with a similarly passionate group of punters…many of which are now friends and part of the PWS family.
There are two owners: Michael McNamara and Alex Wilcox (and their long-suffering wives) and together with 42 other committed (or perhaps should be committed) staff they run three wine retail outlets in South Melbourne and Sydney as well as a wine bar/restaurant Bellota and a wine cellarage business called Liquid Assets. In addition to this educate and have, for some years, now run the benchmark WSET qualification in Victoria and NSW and a suite of more informal courses written by the ourselves and our staff.
We import from a strong portfolio of producers from France, Italy, New Zealand and California that reflect our love of wines that are made by people who share our passion for great wine and wines that reflect their place.
So without getting too carried away and to put it succinctly, we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine.
Who else would you wanna buy wine from!
Founded by Alex Wilcox and Michael McNamara.
Burgundy
The soils and vineyards of Burgundy have been very well defined thanks to the studious Monks a few hundred years ago - and the swathe of others who have picked up the baton since.
The Golden Slope (Cote D'or) is divided into two; the Cote du Nuit to the north and the Cote de Beaune to the south. Pinot noir dominates the Cote du Nuit as it loves the limestone nature of the soils and Chardonnay thrives in the heavier calcareous marl soils on the Cote de Beaune.
The essence of Burgundy comes down to the place where the vines are grown. The more definitive you can be (e.g. a single vineyard like Grand Cru or Premier Cru) then the higher the price you'll pay. A village wine, which will most likely be a blend of vineyards from within the village won't be as expensive as its origins are a little broader.
To the north, Chablis is an outpost. Lying closer to Champagne than the Cote d'Or, its marine fossil laden soils (Kimmeridgian clay) make scintillating renditions of chardonnay which age beautifully.
To the south the Cote Chalonnais, Maconnais and Beaujolais make wines that are easier on the pocket. There's some great value to be had here. A few different grapes are added to the mix including Gamay and Aligoté (as well as pinot noir and chardonnay).
Red or White?
Both.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay, Aligote
Red: Pinot Noir, Gamay
Styles
The purity of chardonnay is on full display in a bottle of Chablis. Chiselled and tightly wound this is a crisp and salivating white. White Burgundy tends towards a riper heart but with spicy oak support.
Favourite Producers
Gerard Raphet, Jean-Marc Pillot, Armand Rousseau, Domaine Romanee Conti, Benjamin Leroux, Domaine Bellene, JF Mugnier, Buisson Battault, Domaine Roulot, Arnaud Ente, Francois Carillon, Francois Raveneau, Christophe Chablis, Chantemerle Chablis,
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Domaine de Bellene Bourgogne Rouge Maison Dieu VV 2021A very pretty and highly expressive nose reflects notes of various red berries and plenty of earth character that can also be found on the supple, vibrant and delicious middleweight flavors that conclude in a mildly rustic if nicely persistent finale. BURGHOUND2021Pinot noirFrance358$75.00 As low as $67.50