Australian Mixed Red Wine Case

Debut Cabernet Merlot by Capel Vale

Debut Cabernet Merlot – Capel Vale’s Regional Series wines are elegant and graceful; high quality wines that reflect varietal and regional characteristics.
Debut wines are fresh, fruity, exuberant wines which remain true at all times to their varietal origins

TASTING NOTE

This ready to drink, benchmark blend Debut Cabernet Merlot, presents optimal fruit characteristics from our Margaret River vineyard on Miamup Road. Abundant flavours of cassis, spice and ripe plum. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot.

VINIFICATION DETAILS

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot fruit were crushed and fermented in stainless vats before being pressed to French oak barriques to complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was left in oak for 10 months and then blended together before fining and filtration prior to bottling.

Capel Vale was the first winery in Western Australia to own and establish vineyards in the cool climate regions of Margaret River, Mount Barker and Geographe. As a result, Capel Vale now produces wines of definitive regional flavour and varietal expression with a focus on balance, complexity and elegant fruit flavours.

Capel Vale is a pioneer in WA with vines planted in 1974. The initial winery was built on the Stirling Estate in Capel in 1979 followed shortly thereafter with the first vintage made by Dr Peter Pratten in 1980.

The Capel River, adjacent to Capel Vale winery is home to many species of waterfowl, including the protected Sheldrake, or native Mountain Duck. When the Pratten family originally planted the vines in 1974, the Mountain Ducks constantly surrounded them, reminding them of their presence whilst they work.

The banks of the Capel River were deliberately untouched to allow the ducks to maintain their natural habitat and can still be seen today, squawking merrily along their way “symbolise what Capel Vale is all about”

You can find out more about this Western Australia winery by going to their website

You can see our full range of Capel Vale wines on our web page

Debut Cabernet Merlot by Capel Vale 

Soldiers Block Shiraz

Soldiers Block Shiraz – Soft supple Victorian Shiraz, dangerously moreish by the glass..

Winemakers Notes

This Shiraz is sourced from ancient Victorian soils in order to achieve a wine with greater finesse, purity and structure as well as typical eucalypt flavours and saline finish associated with the area.
Picked at night and crushed within an hour of picking before being sent to the fermentation tanks. The Shiraz grapes were fermented in temperature-controlled tanks maintained at 22 – 25ºC to avoid
extracting any harsh tannins, with the fermentations pumped over to extract good colour. 20% of the final blend is barrel aged. The winemaker also added 5% Malbec at the end of the whole process – a
sneaky technique that gives a mulberry fruit twist on the finish.

Tasting Notes

Bright, aromatic and juicy on the nose with just a touch of naughty bacon fat. True to the varietal, the tiny proportion of Malbec in this blend gives a flowery perfume. This vintage is our brightest, most dangerously drinkable Shiraz to date due to its fine, bright fruit and soft silky elegance.

Juicy and dangerously drinkable, with vibrant red currant, mulberry, and a soft, silky texture. The wine’s balanced acidity and fine tannins lead to a refreshing, clean finish.

Food Pairing

Drink with Moroccan lamb tagine, roast vegetables and hard cheeses.

Vineyards

This Shiraz is crafted from grapes sourced from Victoria, Australia, where ancient soils bring finesse, structure, and depth. The vineyard sites, managed with sustainability in mind, yield a Shiraz with the typical eucalypt notes and a distinctive saline finish associated with the region’s terroir.

In celebration of the ‘Returned Soldiers Settlement Act’ of 1915, when returning Australian soldiers were rewarded with ‘blocks’ of land, which led to the planting of vineyards, still used today.

You can see our full range of Soldiers Block wines at our dedicated web page

To see more information on the producer go to the importers website

Saddle Creek Shiraz Cabernet

Saddle Creek Shiraz Cabernet is an Immensely popular blend of minty, plum and ripe red cherry characters enhanced by a juicy vanilla character.
Tasting Note
A juicy Australian red showing vibrant flavours of black fruits and vanilla. Soft and smooth with full-flavours of ripe fruits of the forest and a touch of oak spice.
Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon 33%, Merlot 12%, Other Varieties 2%, Shiraz 53%
Vineyard
The vine age is varied, but all vines have been spur pruned and are generally trained on a single wire cordon trellising system. The vines are planted at approximately 1.8 metres apart with 3.6 metres between the rows, to allow machinery access. The soil styles in the vineyards are varied, with each terroir adding its own characteristic to the final wine.
Winemaking
All grapes were machine harvested in order to retain the freshness. Fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 28°C to maximise colour extraction with French untoasted and toasted oak influence. When the ferment was 1° Baume it was pressed and left to ferment until dry. Malolactic conversion took place after it was racked onto French oak, which resulted in a softer mouthfeel. The wine was then transferred to a stainless steel tank, to retain the fruity characteristics until bottling.

To see our full range of Berton Vineyard wines go to our web page 

To find out more about the winery go to their website

Established by Bob & Cherie Berton in May 1996 with 75 acres of land at 450m above sea level on gently rolling hills in a sub-region of Eden Valley in South Australia. The Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay wines are still sourced from this plot. In 2007 Bob purchased the Yenda winery in the heart of the Riverina. This state of the art facility allows Berton Vineyards to produce value for money wines which sit alongside his premium single vineyard offerings.

Berton Vineyards all started at our Eden Valley Vineyard, in High Eden, South Australia. High Eden is a subregion of Eden Valley, situated in the Barossa Valley. It is the highest part of the Barossa, about 500 meters above sea level. In this beautiful part of the world we have planted Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The best parcels of fruit from our Shiraz vineyards go into our Berton Vineyards Bonsai Shiraz, our flagship wine. Fruit from the Shiraz vineyard also forms the backbone for our Reserve Shiraz, which won the Decanter Platinum Best Value Rhone varietal in 2017. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc make our High Eden Range, and the Chardonnay goes into the White Rock Chardonnay and our Reserve Eden Valley Chardonnay.

Great wines from the Eden valley by Berton Vineyards

Saddle Creek Shiraz Cabernet

Simon Hackett Big Rivers Grenache

Simon Hackett Big Rivers Grenache – Vibrant crimson red with purple hues. Fragrant fresh cherries, red liquorice, supported by hints of chocolate, cinnamon and earthy aromas. On the palate there are sweet cheery, plum and mulberry flavours with hints of cocoa wrapped up in soft and silky tannins.

Winemakers Notes

Grapes are specially selected from small parcels of vines from South Eastern Australia. The vines are carefully cultivated to our specifications, with low yields producing intensely-flavoured grapes of outstanding quality.

Drink with – 

An ideal accompaniment to red meat dishes.

Winery Details

Simon Hackett wines are made by McLaren Vale legend Simon Hackett. Simon Hackett was born and raised in the Barossa Valley where his family have been connected with the wine trade for many generations. – four generations of the Hackett family followed agricultural pursuits in South Australia. Simon worked at Saltram’s, in the Barossa, before moving to McLaren Vale in 1973 where he cut his teeth working at Southern Vales Cooperative Winery (now Tatachilla) eventually becoming senior wine maker. Simon’s privately owned winery is situated at the entrance to McLaren Vale in Budgen road and it is here where he hand crafts his wines in small open top fermenters and gentle nurtures them in a combination of French and Oak barriques. Much of his fruit is sourced from dry grown vineyards with ancient, gnarled vines. Yields are very small and his entire annual production rarely exceeds 10,000 cases. Today Hackett sources grapes from the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills regions of South Australia.
Simon Hackett Hills View Shiraz is 100% Shiraz , a portion of the wine was barrel fermented in 2nd year American oak hogsheads. Once fermented dry, the total wine was matured in 2nd year American hogsheads for 10 months.

The winery is perfectly situated on the hill as you enter the McLaren Vale region; the cellar door is light, bright, with a long arched verandah looking over the vines.
In 1984, Simon Hackett decided to concentrate fully on establishing his own boutique label and today crushes grapes grown in the McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley regions of South Australia, producing a range of rich, bold, innovative wines.

To see our full range of Simon Hackett product go to our dedicated Simon Hackett web page

For more information on the winery go to the Simon Hackett website

Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon – Sumptuous and fruity with aromas and flavours of blackcurrant, mint, toffee and sea spray. The palate is full of varietal fruit character and soft textures
with a rich mouthfeel. Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a generous and friendly wine that shows why this varietal is one of the world’s best-known and enjoyed varieties…

Vintage Conditions

Vintage 2021 has produced Cabernet Sauvignon grapes of balance, style and exceptional varietal characteristics. Good late winter and spring rains
enabled the vines to grow healthy canopies. Few windy days and moderate temperatures during flowering provided an ideal environment for fruit set.
Summer was mild with below average temperatures and cool nights, great for the development of pristine aromatics and flavours.

Food Pairing

Drink with  beef cheeseburger or portobello mushroom burger with caramelised onions

Producer Profile

In 1847 a 37-year-old brewer called Samuel Smith left his home in Wareham, Dorset with his wife Mary and their four children. Boarding a simple three-masted barque they left Plymouth and began the long and arduous journey to Australia, arriving in Port Adelaide. From there they trecked north to Angaston where Samuel took a job as a gardener. It was arguably this brave decision to start a new life in a remote and distant land, together with the hardship that they endured, that formed the strong sense of family unity that has been the bedrock of the family business ever since. In 1849 he started the wine farm that would grow over the next 5 generations to become one of Australia’s leading wineries, with a winemaking culture that is internationally recognised and respected. To embrace the native culture, Samuel decided to adopt a local name for his farm, calling it “Yalumba” meaning “all the country around’’ in the indigenous Peramangk language.

At Yalumba they believe that one good wine leads to another. The Y Series was created with that belief in mind. The Y Series represents a collection of iconic classics and exciting new varietals. Each authentically crafted with fruit from South Australia’s most celebrated wine regions. They hope that the glass of wine you hold in your hand right now marks the beginning of a delicious journey, and we look forward to sharing our love of wine as you explore the Y Series.

Yalumba is part of Australian wine alliance Australia’s First Families of Wine, a multimillion-dollar venture to help resurrect the fortunes of the $6 billion industry while highlighting the quality and diversity of Australian wine.

To view our full selection of Yalumba wines please click here

For more information on the Yalumba winery click here

Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon – great wine from a great winery

Peculiar Mr Pat Merlot from South Eastern Australia 

WHAT IS IN A NAME?

Peculiar Mr Pat Merlot – this is he story of a most particular wombat…Orphaned, beaten up by his wild wombat mates, taken in by Ballarat Wildlife Park, wheelbarrowed around (for weight reasons), adored the world over.

HOW IS PECULIAR MR PAT MERLOT MADE?

The Merlot grapes that make this wine were grown in the glorious Australian sunshine. Merlot thrives along the banks of Australia’s largest river, the Murray, near the bustling inland town of Mildura, in
the middle of Australia’s food bowl. A Mediterranean climate, with plenty of sunshine, they carefully tend the vines and enrich the ancient, sandy soils with recycled organic matter from other crops that
also thrive locally, to make the most of every precious drop of water. Speckled light reaches through lush green vine canopies to ensure the berries ripen steadily throughout late summer in time for
harvest in Autumn.

TASTING NOTES FOR PECULIAR MR PAT MERLOT

Bright, plush, deeply tasty Merlot from Riverland vineyards, this is abundant in freshly picked red
fruit with a soft tannic profile and a long, moreish finish.

FOOD MATCH

This wine can be enjoyed with a wide range of meat dishes, and minimal winemaking intervention
means that this wine can also be enjoyed, guilt-free by Pescatarians, Vegetarians and Vegans.

Quintessentially Australian, Boutinot wines offer consistent quality, hugely appealing, commercial wine styles that have gained a loyal following. Reflecting our skill and experience in seeking out the very best of Australia, our wines capture ideal climatic conditions and pure varietal definition.

Boutinot’s Samantha Bailey brings her signature palate and decades of experience to finessing our components into the loveliest Boutinot expressions of Oz.

We stock a great range of Boutinot products on our website

Boutinot produces wines all around the world and imports them into the UK. 

Peculiar Mr Pat Merlot