Ultimate Red Mixed Case

Shaw & Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz

Shaw & Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz – This Shiraz exhibits a complex nose laden with spice and red fruit which leads to a poised and balanced palate. Graphite, sage, kalamata olives, and plum flavours envelop the palate which is lively and medium bodied. Grippy tannins and bright acidity lead into the long finish.

Winemakers Notes

The grapes were hand picked, hand sorted, and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. The wine was aged in new (15%) and used 500-litre French oak puncheons for 14 months. Unfiltered and unfined before bottling, the wine then underwent another 14 months of bottle ageing.

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

Shaw & Smith Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz – a great wine from a top class winery

Charles Melton Nine Popes GSM

Charles Melton Nine Popes GSM – Blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre from old vines. Whilst the Nine Popes was initially modelled on Chateauneuf-du-Pape, it has evolved into an internationally recognised example of this style in its own right.

Medium deep colour, the bouquet is a lovely amalgam of cedar oak with softly sweet Grenache perfumes and some liquorice spice in the background. Elegantly defined palate with a fine balance between weight and strength., Plump mid palate with soft tannins. Some savoury grip to finish. Will richen in both perfume and body over the next decade.

Nine Popes is vinified with a couple of key objectives in mind. We use both whole bunch fermentation and destemmed but uncrushed berries during the maceration period, to ensure the greatest degree of fragrance along with cool fermentation temperatures and careful cap management to gain the silky texture and density that the Popes is known for. “Sur Lie” ageing in French oak for the whole 24-28 month maturation period adds additional mouthfeel and smoothness. The wine is then naturally settled and bottled without any finings whatsoever.

The grapes for the wines are drawn from some of the oldest and most venerable vines in the Barossa.
These gnarled old veterans, dry grown on a mix of estate vineyard and family owned blocks, reflect the unique style and traditions that produce the famed Barossa Valley red wine style.
Careful chemical-free husbandry delivers to the winery fruit of the purest flavours for the wine making team to shape into fine wines that truly reflect our Barossa earth. Yields are extremely low with often only one tonne to the acre, and the vineyards are truly old with many exceeding 80 years.

To see our full range of Charles Melton wines go to our web page

To find out more about the winery go to their website

Charles Melton Nine Popes GSM – a premier wine from a great winery

Stargazer Pinot Noir

Stargazer Pinot Noir – Silky Pinot Noir from Australia’s coolest state, fruity in the mouth and spicy on the nose, so that wild raspberry and rhubarb are harmonised with star anise, Chinese five-spice and cinnamon. Stargazer Pinot Noir ticks all the boxes.

Winemakers Notes

25% whole bunches with the remainder de-stemmed. The must was cold soaked for three days prior to warming up for wild ferment, which lasted for 5/6 days prior to being basket pressed to oak puncheons for malolactic fermentation. The wine was then left on lees in oak for eight months followed by two months in tank prior to bottling.

Food Pairing

A subtle style that would work with slow cooked lamb braises with middle eastern spices.

Producer Details

For information about our full range of Stargazer wines please go to our dedicated web page

For more information about the Stargazer winery go to their website

Located in the Tea Tree subregion at the northern end of the Coal River Valley, the original vineyard on Back Tea Tree Road was planted by Norm and Jan Gangell in 2004. Pretty much half and half Riesling and pinot noir, the eleven hectare property is also home to an olive grove. Samantha Connew took over the property in 2016 and in late 2017 expanded the vineyard to include an additional two hectares of vines: more pinot noir (four clones), some chardonnay (anther four clones) and more Riesling. Stage two of the expansion is planned for 2020 and will take me up to five hectares in total, and then the wine will be totally estate grown.
Palisander Vineyard (as she has named it) is located on brown dermosol soil over jurassic dolerite, the igneous rock which gives over half of Tasmania its distinctive geological formations (think the rocky outcrops on the Tasman Peninsula). The soil is particularly high in calcium which is a positive indicator for quality grapes, being associated with thicker skins and slower ripening. Whilst she is still very new to this whole grape grower caper, she believes in sustainable farming and am excited about leaving my bit of dirt better than she found it.

Stargazer Pinot Noir- great wine from Tasmania

Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec by Vasse Felix

Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec- Vasse Felix, Margaret River’s founding wine estate, was established by Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967. Among his first plantings were Cabernet Sauvignon and
Malbec vines, from which he produced the estate’s first red wine. The TOM CULLITY descends from these original vines and represents the purest expression of our history, place and vintage; the pinnacle of Vasse Felix. 

Appearance

Ruby garnet with a hint of brick emerging.

What is on the Noise

A tight, layered, and intriguing perfume, revealing hints of boysenberry, blue plum, orange peel and peanut husks. Subtle floral and botanical accents emerge, with lavender, native peppy tree, and potpourri.

On the Palate

A soft and plump entrance envelops a fine-boned structure, lifted by a gentle freshness. A beautifully velvety, almost cashew-like texture, the wine is light yet deep, elegant yet powerful, complex yet effortless. The refined finish lingers with hints of white pepper, cedar, and wet stone over a backdrop of boysenberry.

Elegant with incredible purity of fruit. Perfumed aromas of red and black currants, juicy ripe plums and tobacco leaves with bitter chocolate, crushed blackberries, dried herbs and cedar. The midweight palate is succulent but not fat, showing finely integrated tannins and great depth. A beautiful, superbly approachable wine that still has a long life ahead in bottle. Great tension and minerality. A blend of 81% cabernet sauvignon and 19% malbec. Drink or hold.

Vasse Felix was established by Margaret River pioneer Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967 and is the region’s founding wine estate.

Dr Cullity’s original aim for Vasse Felix was simple – to make the best possible wine, and prove the untapped potential of a place that was hypothesised to be superb for fine wine growing. Through ingenuity and tenacity, he made Margaret River’s first serious wines in 1972; a Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec and a Riesling, marking a milestone in Australian wine history.

To see our full selection of Vasse Felix wines please take a look at our Vasse Felix webpage

For more information about the winery go to the Vasse Felix website

Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec by Vasse Felix

Mollydooker Velvet Glove

Mollydooker Velvet Glove – 100% Shiraz
Velvet Glove has phenomenal 95%+ Fruit Weight. When you experience it in your mouth it has an explosion of flavours, a rich, opulent, silky mouthfeel and an eternal finish. To honour its stunning beauty and power, It is sealed in a gorgeous bottle with a real velvet label printed in a silver foil. It is then placed in either a luxurious velvet bag or a beautifully designed gift box so that we can give you a joyful experience from beginning to end.

In the glass, the 2022 Velvet Glove is a wine of depth and intensity, reflecting the essence of McLaren Vale Shiraz and Fruit Weight™. It balances strength, depth, and finesse, with a pleasing aroma that harmonizes berries and a blend of spices. Initially, flavours of ripe blackberry and cassis are accompanied by hints of raspberry and chocolate coffee cream. The wine’s supple tannins and velvety mouthfeel complement the richness of the flavors, maintaining an exquisite balance and finesse throughout the tasting experience. 

Reviews

‘Deep purple-black and a little closed on the nose with very pure blackberry and plum preserves, some red fruit and floral highlights intermingled with menthol, espresso and a whiff of coconut and spices, the full-bodied 2012 Velvet Glove is a big, rich and concentrated wine with a great tannic backbone that is both firm and fine. It is complemented by refreshing acidity and a very long finish with the liquorice and chocolate coming through. Drink it now to 2025+.’ – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, www.erobertparker.com ~ Wine Advocate ~

WINERY DETAILS

Mollydooker is a Member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, and as such ensures that all wines are produced on a sustainable basis.

You can see and purchase our full range of Mollydooker wines by going to our Mollydooker webpage

For more information on the winery go to the Mollydooker wines website

The vineyards are situated on the magical Seaview Ridge, which with its ancient soils and Mediterranean climate, is home to some of the most iconic Australian wines. There are three separate vineyards – Long Gully Road, Coppermine Road and the Home Blocks, giving us a total of 114 acres of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. All of the grapes are grown sustainably.

The attention to detail and commitment to excellence at Mollydooker is reflected in everything the estate does.

Mollydooker (Aussie for left hander, because Sarah is left handed) was established in March 2006 in the McLaren Vale, with a state-of-the-art winery and 114 acres of vineyards on the magic Seaview Ridge – home to most of the iconic McLaren Vale wines. Sarah is the sole owner and winemaker, running Mollydooker with the help of her team who continue to make the handcrafted wines for which they are rightly famous.

This wine is another classic from the Mollydooker stable as well as being a fun wine for happy occasions

Mollydooker Velvet Glove – The ultimate gem in a brilliant collection of wines. To get the best from your wine use the Mollydooker Shake 

Noon Eclipse

Noon Eclipse – The vines which produce this wine surround the house and the furthest are 500m from it, so they are very familiar in all their seasonal guises. They are like old friends. They have pruned and tended them since they  were children and so the appearance of the vines themselves, the leaves and the bunches as they develop, is very familiar. They feel like they share a life experience with them and so they are close to their hearts.

The wine they produce from them reflects this vineyard and their region. Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80-90%+), along with small amounts of Shiraz and Graciano.

Ideal drinking time is generally at 5-10 years of age, when the wine is still youthful but has gained complexity and softness from time in bottle. Most of our customers tell me they find the wines to be still quite youthful at this age but I prefer to be conservative with recommended cellaring times, allowing for people’s different cellaring conditions. And it’s far better to drink them a little too young than too old as there’s no going back!

You can also drink your Eclipse much earlier than this of course. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had from drinking at 1-5 years when the wine is robust and full of vigour. At this age I recommend giving the wine some air and a little time to breathe to soften the tannins before consuming. Decanting an hour or more ahead will do this. The younger the wine the tighter the tannins and the more time required. When we drink the current release, we usually find it tastes even better the next day.

Noon Eclipse is matured in seasoned 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (Foudre and demi-muid sized) oak casks for 18 months.

The grapes are picked by hand and fermentation takes place in small open vats with manual pigeage, to help extract colour and tannins. Pressing is also done by hand, using manual basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency.

Very little is added or taken away by modern winemaking technology. We prefer to take a minimalist approach, believing that this will deliver a wine which genuinely reflects the grapes and the site.

Noon Eclipse is grown, made and bottled on the estate.

For more information on the winery go to their website

To see our other Noon wines go to our dedicated web page