Special six of the Best from Australia

Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache – a great red from a Fantastic 5 star producer

Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache

Wallace is an ancestral name of Colin’s wife, Judith, whose family hail from the old market town of Cupar in Fife, Scotland. Judith’s Celtic ancestry is reflected in the three elements of the Wallace symbol – the Celtic cross, thistle and the Celtic knot pattern.

Glaetzer Wallace takes on the traditional Barossa Valley blend of Shiraz and Grenache in a modern way. The Shiraz brings backbone, flesh and body to the wine with the Grenache adding a soft, vibrant juiciness.

Vineyards: Exceptional old vine fruit was sourced from the famed Ebenezer sub district at the northern tip of the Barossa Valley. Vine age 50—80 year old Shiraz and 50—110 year old Grenache. Yield 3.5 tonnes per hectare.

Vinification: Old vine Barossa Grenache has a liveliness and structure that does not benefit from oak maturation—oak contact was thus minimised for the Grenache component to preserve the purity and animation of the fruit. The Shiraz was matured for 16 months in 2—3 year old oak hogshead barrels (80% French / 20% American).

Tasting Notes

Colour: Medium to deep garnet, a flash of purple on the rim.

Aroma: An enticing nose of dark plum, raspberry and lavender with hints of anise and ground spice.

Palate: Black fruits prevail with touches of pepper and blackcurrant. Firm, savoury yet rounded tannins balance with brightness and lift.

Peak Drinking: A wine to enjoy in its youth that will reward careful cellaring up to 5 years.
Variety : 78% Shiraz / 22% Grenache

Tasting Notes

A medium to garnet colour with a flash of purple on the rim. The aroma displays an enticing nose of dark plum, raspberry and lavender with hints of anise and ground spice. On the pallet black fruits prevail with touches of pepper and blackcurrant. The tannins are firm and savoury yet well rounded.

The wine can be enjoyed in its youth and cellared for 5 or more years. You can see our full range of Ben Glaetzer wines at https://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/glaetzer/

You can see out full range of Ben Glaetzer product by clicking here

See more information on this great producer at the Glaetzer Wines website

Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache from Barossa Valley –   a great example of shiraz grenache from the barossa valley

Shaw and Smith Shiraz

Shaw and Smith Shiraz – From low yielding vines predominantly at Balhannah, in the central Adelaide Hills, and Macclesfield, the warmer and drier sub-region to the south. Hand picked, sorted and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak (30% new) for 14 months. Shaw + Smith Shiraz is a medium bodied cool-climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power. The 2016 has intensity and generosity, showing darker fruits: a reflection of an excellent warm, yet even, season.

Winemakers Notes

Hand picked and fermented as a combination of whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in French oak for fourteen months, of which one third was new. September’s start to the growing season was warmer than average leading to good canopy and fruit development. January rainfall provided relief from earlier warmer temperatures and was timely to aid fruit development through the ripening period, resulting in healthy fruit being harvested two weeks earlier than average.

Vibrant purple-black; seduces with swathes of dark cherries dipped in kirsch, florals, ferrous and woodsy spices, with toasty oak sewn to the shape of the fuller-bodied palate. Everything is in its place, creating an immaculate whole – the fine-grained tannins, the length, the freshness and detail. It’s polished and totally convincing.

Information on the Producer

Shaw + Smith own two vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah and Lenswood, totalling 55 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. We also use a number of different cultivars or ‘clones’ of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.

The Lenswood Vineyard, about 10km north west of the winery, is planted mainly to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, at 455 – 500m elevation. Undulating with east and west facing aspects, the soils are brown loams over clay with broken shale on the ridges. The vineyard was planted in 1999 and is 20 hectares in total.

M3 now comes from selected sites over the Adelaide Hills, not from the vineyard previously called M3. Pale strawgreen; it may be autosuggestion, but this has great freshness, vibrancy and finesse, the flavours pitched halfway between white peach/stone fruit on the one hand, grapefruit/citrus on the other. Obviously fermented in French oak, but is not obviously oaky. 97 points

You can see our range of Shaw + Smith product at our web page

For more information on the Shaw & Smith  winery go to their website

Keith Tulloch Semillon

Keith Tulloch Semillon – This Semillon is sourced exclusively from Keith Tulloch’s own old-vine estate vineyards on Hermmitage & Deasys Roads in Pokolbin, where vines were established in 1968 & 1978 respectively. in 1968 at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley. It is this deep and fine alluvial sandiness that makes the vineyard resource so significant – the vines consistently produce the purest and brightest signatures of Hunter Semillon. The Semillon was harvested then crushed, chilled and pressed immediately. Fermentation occurred using a selected pure yeast culture in stainless steel tanks, at cool to cold temperatures to maximise and retain varietal freshness.

Zesty lemon and lime-fruit characters are the hallmarks of this classic Hunter Style – the bright and delicate characters are beautiful when young and will sustain for many years of cellaring. A naturally lower alcohol wine at 10.5%. A naturally lower alcohol wine at 10.5%.

Perfect with light and delicate fish dishes, prawns and freshly shucked oysters.

Keith Tulloch have attained the CLIMATE ACTIVE certification by the Australian Government. This means that the winery, vineyard and offices are certified carbon neutral as well as its wines (including glassware, boxes, shipping, bottling). This carbon neutral certification is one of the most rigorous in the world. Every emission created by the vineyard and the winemaking process has been reduced where possible; and where emissions are unavoidable the pollutants have been offset through carbon abatement so that the business and its products have zero net greenhouse gas emissions. Keith Tulloch is also a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (previously known as Entwine) which requires wineries to report and reduce waste whilst promoting sustainable practices. A 65kw solar array has been installed, providing the vast majority of the estate’s power needs.

To see our full range of Keith Tulloch product go to our dedicated web page

To see more about the Keith Tulloch winery go to their website

Paulett Polish Hill Riesling from Clare Valley

Paulett Polish Hill Riesling – A Classic flinty and minerally Polish Hill River Riesling packed with notes of lemon and lime with a clean crisp finish.

Paulett Polish Hill Riesling – we love this great Aussie Riesling and look forward to stocking their full range of wines in the very near future.

The Cigar Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon from Yalumba

The Cigar Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cigar is a name coined by Coonawarra Vignerons to describe the region’s unique cigar-shaped strip of rich red terra rossa soil. Home to some of Australia’s most famous vineyards, the secret of Coonawarra lies in the intimate bond between the terra rossa soil, limestone layers, pure artisan water and a long, cool ripening season. Fortunate to be part of this iconic place, Yalumba salutes the region’s pioneers and those privileged to inherit its future.

TERROIR/PROVENANCE/REGION – The Cigar Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

The Menzies Vineyard, Yalumba’s premium Cabernet Sauvignon estate, was established in the world-famous region of Coonawarra in 1975. The terroir is defined by red brown earth
over limestone, perfect for growing grapes for full-bodied, structured red wine.

TASTING NOTES – The Cigar Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark red plum in colour, medium to full depth in hue. The bouquet shows bright cherry, chocolate and musk fruit aromas supported by savoury cedar oak. The palate is vibrant
with blueberries and rhubarb, balanced by chocolate and mint. The tannins have a mouth-filling praline texture on the long and lingering finish.

FOOD PAIRING – The Cigar Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

Barbecued lamb loin chops or herbed bean, mushroom and pine nut burgers with a red onion and tomato salsa

Yalumba has long had a mandate to craft exceptional quality wines that are accessible to wine lovers around the world. With this in mind, they set out to create younger siblings for two of our Rare & Fine stalwarts. Youthful interpretations of our beloved Rare & Fine wines that showcase the exceptional fruit to be found in their homes of the Barossa and Coonawarra, respectively. Thus Yalumba The Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon was born.

Yalumba ‘The Cigar’ is a wine from the Yalumba Coonawarra Estate. It is sibling to ‘The Menzies’. This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from The Menzies Estate vineyards. Coonawarra’s potential to grow grapes of exceptional quality is a result of a perfect marriage between the famous red terra rossa soil and a porous limestone layer. This is complemented by a long, cool growing season, making the Coonawarra one of the gems in the global red wine crown. Cabernet Sauvignon is by far the most widely planted variety throughout the region, with more than 60 per cent of Coonawarra vines bearing this popular red grape.

Yalumba The Cigar is made through traditional small lot winemaking techniques. The grapes are crushed to small static fermenters, ensuring good extraction of colour and tannin. The grapes stay on skins for around seven days, though some tanks are given extended skin contact before pressing. The wine is matured for 22 months in mainly French oak hogsheads and barriques; 28 per cent of them new.

To view our full selection of Yalumba wines please click here

For more information on the Yalumba winery click here

Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay

Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay – The limited reserve range of wines from the Merrill stable are the result of Geoff`s desire to make and release small batches of his finest wines. Top Aussie wine writer James Halliday recently rated Geoff as one of Australia’s finest winemakers who is right at the top of his game! This wine is made from a rigorous selection of the best barrels and is a blend of Chardonnay fruit from the Coonawarra, Padthaway and McLaren Vale vineyard regions of South Australia. The wine displays a honey and melon bouquet, integrated with subtle oak aromas and a rich palate. Fantastic weight and complexity, bursting with pineapple and peach fruit flavours, with notes of cream and toast from its maturation in new French casks. The palate is well integrated with the opulent fruit flavours balanced by a refreshing acidity and followed by a youthful finish.

The perfect partner to chicken or fish dishes with a creamy sauce.

For more information on the vineyard go to their website

To see our full range of Geoff Merrill products go to our webpage for further information.

Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay