93+ - 94 Points - Stuart McCloskey “At this youthful stage, more Sauvignon on the nose than Sémillon. Intensely aromatic with stone fruits, grapefruit and blackcurrant leaf. Herbal, floral and ripe… There’s a synergy between the bouquet and the palate which is equally vibrant and ‘alive’ – some gooseberry and elderflower. Lovely weight (which is often lacking at this level) and the soft textural feel will appeal to many. I love the fresh minty finish, I detect Florence fennel too (eaten raw – you’ll see what I am referring too). Appetising and delicious now, not really a wine to put in the cellar, but a few years will do it no harm.”

Being named as "the newest buzz in Margaret River", Domaine Naturaliste is the project of Bruce Dukes, a highly experienced winemaker with a career spanning over 25 years... it is Bruce’s belief that a holistic approach reaps the greatest rewards, both for the wine and the environment.

Whilst completing his degree, Bruce worked as assistant winemaker for Francis Ford Coppola at Niebaum- Coppola in the Napa Valley and has also had a significant stint at the great Pierro Winery closer to home in Margaret River. Bruce approaches winemaking with the passion of an Agronomist, beginning with a deep understanding of soils and sustainable farming practices, it is Bruce’s belief that a holistic approach reaps the greatest rewards, both for the wine and the environment.

Domaine Naturaliste vineyards are located in the heart of the highly regarded Wilyabrup sub-region, located on the north eastern coast of Margaret River. The vines are 7 km inland from the magnificent Indian ocean. The gravelly loam soils provide a stable foundation for the 20 year old grapevines, allowing them to achieve the perfect balance. The maritime climate is characterised by cool wet winters, and long gentle summers. The Karri Trees that dominate the landscape here, provide shelter from the prevailing westerly and south-westerly winds that blow in from the Indian Ocean, making the area a pristine environment for growing high quality grapes.

The flagship wine of Domaine Naturaliste is the Morus Cabernet Sauvignon which is sourced from the very best and very oldest vineyard in the Bruce’s portfolio. The Morus Cabernet vines are some of the most coveted and the vineyard is considered to be amongst the most elite sites in all of Margaret River.

Domaine Naturaliste Wins Best Value Winery of the Year in Wine Companion Awards - Read more

Perched all the way over on Australia’s most south westerly tip is Margaret River. A region that accounts for less than 5% of Australia’s wine production but is responsible for 20% of the premium wines and the lion’s share of awards. Probably best known as the region that produces some of the new world’s finest Cabernet, Margaret River specialises not only in red and white, Bordeaux style wines but the region is also gaining a reputation for premium Chardonnays that rival some of the best found in Burgundy. Deep Woods have scooped up a multitude of awards across their range, and another spectacular producer, House of Cards, have created a range of single vineyard wines of exceptional quality. Flowstone’s wines have been awarded 95 points or above and Stuart Pym continually displays his craftmanship in each and every vintage he produces. The list of awards given to this tiny area in Australia’s most isolated region is endless and it’s no wonder that Margaret River is dominating Australia’s premium sector.

94+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “An incredibly appealing Chardonnay which oozes charm and offers superb value. Stone fruits intermingle with a little grapefruit, lemon oil and that wonderful jasmine character which appears to be the Domaine Naturaliste signature. Textural and the flavours fan out fabulously – the finish is admirably long which emphasises the excellent quality to value ratio. Pristine and no shortage of fruit. Overall, so enjoyable, so much pleasure.” Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Being named as "the newest buzz in Margaret River", Domaine Naturaliste is the project of Bruce Dukes, a highly experienced winemaker with a career spanning over 25 years... it is Bruce’s belief that a holistic approach reaps the greatest rewards, both for the wine and the environment.

Whilst completing his degree, Bruce worked as assistant winemaker for Francis Ford Coppola at Niebaum- Coppola in the Napa Valley and has also had a significant stint at the great Pierro Winery closer to home in Margaret River. Bruce approaches winemaking with the passion of an Agronomist, beginning with a deep understanding of soils and sustainable farming practices, it is Bruce’s belief that a holistic approach reaps the greatest rewards, both for the wine and the environment.

Domaine Naturaliste vineyards are located in the heart of the highly regarded Wilyabrup sub-region, located on the north eastern coast of Margaret River. The vines are 7 km inland from the magnificent Indian ocean. The gravelly loam soils provide a stable foundation for the 20 year old grapevines, allowing them to achieve the perfect balance. The maritime climate is characterised by cool wet winters, and long gentle summers. The Karri Trees that dominate the landscape here, provide shelter from the prevailing westerly and south-westerly winds that blow in from the Indian Ocean, making the area a pristine environment for growing high quality grapes.

The flagship wine of Domaine Naturaliste is the Morus Cabernet Sauvignon which is sourced from the very best and very oldest vineyard in the Bruce’s portfolio. The Morus Cabernet vines are some of the most coveted and the vineyard is considered to be amongst the most elite sites in all of Margaret River.

Domaine Naturaliste Wins Best Value Winery of the Year in Wine Companion Awards - Read more

Perched all the way over on Australia’s most south westerly tip is Margaret River. A region that accounts for less than 5% of Australia’s wine production but is responsible for 20% of the premium wines and the lion’s share of awards. Probably best known as the region that produces some of the new world’s finest Cabernet, Margaret River specialises not only in red and white, Bordeaux style wines but the region is also gaining a reputation for premium Chardonnays that rival some of the best found in Burgundy. Deep Woods have scooped up a multitude of awards across their range, and another spectacular producer, House of Cards, have created a range of single vineyard wines of exceptional quality. Flowstone’s wines have been awarded 95 points or above and Stuart Pym continually displays his craftmanship in each and every vintage he produces. The list of awards given to this tiny area in Australia’s most isolated region is endless and it’s no wonder that Margaret River is dominating Australia’s premium sector.

96+ Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Although Bricolage blends are a permanent feature of the Topper’s Mountain range, the composition varies from vintage to vintage. The 2014 Blanc is a fascinating blend of Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. The Gewürztraminer influence is clear as it takes centre stage with its highly aromatic profile. Rich citrus and lychee dominate the perfume however, the aromatics are incredibly complex nevertheless. Wet stones, sweet vanilla, red grapefruit, cantaloupe melon and sea spray. Wholly unique. The palate is much more savoury than the perfume suggests but the freshness prevails. An abundance of citrus and minerals are delectable and they linger with impressive length. Such a distinctive wine. Unusual blends often present wacky styles however, Bricolage Blanc is rather fine and incredibly textural. Hats off! Bottle age served this wine well – there is no need for further cellaring and you should enjoy this beauty on the day of opening."

New England is unlike any other wine producing region in Australia. In a country which NASA declared ‘the flattest in the world’ we find a wine producing region situated at over 1000m above sea level, putting them at a similar altitude to the peak of Mount Snowdon! This provides a cool climate, with soils and topography which work perfectly for the mostly Mediterranean grape varieties that the team at Topper’s Mountain focus on growing here.

Topper’s Mountain is our first, exclusive winery from New England which is an exciting, re-emerging wine region with a captivating history dating back as far as the first settlers, who began planting vineyards and making wine there due to the difficulties in transporting alcohol from other major centres.

The Topper’s vineyard was founded in by Mark Kirkby 1998 and sits at 900m ASL, meaning that despite sitting much closer to the equator than most of the world’s viticulture, they are still bestowed with cool nights, low maximum temperatures and a generally continental climate. These all combine to create wines of great elegance and fruit definition which are more comparable to wines grown a thousand kilometres or more from the equator. Winemaker, Mike Hayes says, “My philosophy is to express the terroir of the vineyard and not the barrel maker from the south of France. I feel that great wine comes from great vineyards, not great winemakers. I also feel that to capture the flavour of the earth and express it in the bottle is a far greater challenge than manufacturing wine in the lab.”

We welcome Topper’s Mountain to the UK - Read article

Stuart McCloskey “What a glorious nose – truly so. It’s brimming with dried apricot, salt / saline, layers of mineral, oyster shell, lemon oil, orange peel and smoked almonds.  The palate soars and the glycerol-richness is admirable for such a young wine. Given the intensity, this reminds me of drinking Grosses Gewächs wines from Germany. This is extraordinarily complex – I am honestly left speechless as it’s so young. Like Nick’s Chardonnay, the texture is velvety and super-expansive. Riesling without acidity is dead and flat – this, however, provides a perfect acid structure which creates a discreet frame around the juicy, ripe fruit (it’s almost dripping with ripe peach). Stony minerality along with a gorgeous, salty pang is a triumph. I love the mandarin note – perhaps a little iodine too. Unquestionably, the best, young Aussie Riesling I have ever sampled and certainly a step-up from the previous vintage. Utterly gorgeous now but, and over the next 5-15 years, you will be taken to new heights. Breathtaking purity. Sampled using Zalto Universal glassware.”

Winemaker Notes: Delicate lime zest, floral aromas and aniseed fill the glass. Further citrus flavours develop on the fresh mineral structure, enhanced by the juicy acid finish. While working in the Pfalz wine region of Germany, Nick was converted to the local method of selecting the harvest date of Riesling grapes based on their acid content and structure ‒ rather than the traditional Australian manner of harvesting on sugar concentration and grape flavour. These grapes then ferment into Riesling wines with delicate citrus flavours and aromas, compared to the tropical spectrum of a riper harvest.

“Lurking among the delicacy and freshness is also the most extraordinary, intense flavour of mandarin marmalade. Powerful and racy, I’d say. Just gorgeous.” — Max Allen, Gourmet Traveller

Nick Glaetzer of Glaetzer-Dixon is a member of one of Australia’s most recognised winemaking families, son of Baron of Barossa Colin, brother to Ben of Barossa’s Glaetzer Wines and nephew of John, the chief winemaker at Wolf Blass and creator of the famous John’s blend.

Nick’s father, Colin began as a winemaker for the Seppelt’s at Rutherglen and Great Western before establishing the Glaetzer name in the Barossa Valley where Nick worked his first vintages. Nick then moved on to work with some of the great names in Australian wine including Leeuwin Estate, Wolf Blass, Lindeman’s, Rosemount, Evans & Tate and Frogmore Creek as well as working some vintages in France at Domaine de la Ferrrandière in the Languedoc, Domaine Albert Morot in Burgundy and Weingut Egon Müller in Germany.

This broad experience created a passion for Pinot Noir and Riesling and with his family name being firmly rooted as one of the greats of the Barossa Valley, Nick began to search for the finest terroir to produce the finest wines from these grape varieties. After tasting what he thought was a Grand Cru Burgundy at a blind tasting at Leeuwin Estate, Nick was stunned to discover the wine was in fact a Tasmanian Pinot Noir and his mind was made up.

Nick moved away from his roots in Barossa and headed for the cooler climate of Tasmania where he converted an old ice factory in Hobart into a winery that Nick and his family live above, and established Glaetzer-Dixon in 2008.

Sourcing some of the finest fruit from the Tamar, Derwent and Coal River Valleys, Nick’s passion is for Pinot Noir but it was his Mon Père Shiraz that earned him the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy, an achievement made even more special as it was the first time in its 50 year history that the trophy has been awarded to a Tasmanian wine.

Exclusive Q&A with Nick Glaetzer - Read more

The wine world is always open, waiting to be discovered - Read more

Positioned just over 400 km from mainland Australia’s south east coast, Tasmania has rapidly gained a reputation for being a premium, cool climate wine region, not just for sparkling wines but also for top quality still wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. With vineyard sites positioned on the north and south east side of the island taking full advantage of the cool, maritime influences and coastal breezes that help to preserve the crisp acidity and freshness that is so important in producing wines of this Calibre. Wine makers in Tasmania utilise the whole region often blending parcels from vineyards across the different sub-regions that each lend its own specific identity to the wines.

Tamar Valley on the north coast is one of the warmer sub-regions with a higher level of rainfall producing fruit with a riper character. Here we discovered Grey Sands, who offer a stunning collection of wines and produce one of our favourite Pinot Gris’ to come out of the New World. The Grey Sands site delivers plenty of tannin, colour and structure. Just to the east of this is Pipers River, one of Tasmania’s coolest regions with a terroir dominated by red, ferrosol soils.

Just to the east of this is Pipers River, one of Tasmania’s coolest regions with a terroir dominated by red, ferrosol soils. As we travel south we come to the East Coast region followed by Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley and Huon Valley. Based in the Huon Valley is Glaetzer-Dixon, responsible for producing some incredible wines and one of our favourite Pinot Noirs. Dr Edge is a producer that focuses on the unique expression of each terroir creating three individual, single vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays each from a different sub-region.

Based in the Huon Valley is Sailor Seeks Horse who brought a derelict, 6.5 hectare vineyard back to life from which they now produce exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hughes & Hughes can be found in a tiny hamlet called Flowerpot, who as well as Pinot and Chardonnay, produce Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc from grapes sourced from growers across the island. We’ve also added Ghost Rock to our increasing portfolio. They are one of Tasmania’s pioneering grower-producers. Over 20 years the Arnold family have almost single-handedly created the Cradle Coast wine region of Northern Tasmania. Their estate now spans 27 hectares of high density, hand-tended vineyards, mostly comprised of Pinot Noir, with significant plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris in behind. Ghost Rock’s wines are driven by depth, sophistication and intensity. They produce a terrific duo of sparklings; Catherine and Zoe..

Wild and dramatic, cultured and quirky - Read more

96+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “The Upper Ngumby vineyard is within the confines of Yarra Glen, sloping gently east. It is protected from the late afternoon sun by the Christmas Hills, rising up to the west. The fruit was barrel fermented with 100% wild yeast, matured on lees for eight months with some secondary fermentation to create depth and finesse, which team Soumah succeed effortlessly. The nose offers a mix of lemon zest, minéralité and ozone. Serenely pure in two words. The palate is long and sophisticated. Full of drive, vigour and energy – lovely freshness and very moreish. This will flourish with more time in the bottle, drink now to 2025.”

96+ Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Elegant struck match on the nose reveals white nectarine with aeration. Although it is slightly leaner than Hexham, there is still an incredible sense of precision here. The palate is textural bliss as it balances effortlessly between ripe stone fruit, citrus and minerals. Svelte and perfectly composed – a testament to Soumah’s great vineyards and skilful winemaking. Delicious today, but a little rest in the cellar will be rewarded."

Unravelling the story behind the exotically named Soumah, it is in fact an abbreviation of South of Maroondah, hinting at its location in the heart of Yarra Valley. Their wines however are far from exotic and instead they brim with a cool climate character and provenance of the majestic Yarra Valley. The perfect state of balance, calmness and composure of Soumah wines are expressed across the range, with the flagship wines receiving the graceful name ‘Equilibrio’. The global press wax lyrical with strings of medals including the Decanter Gold winning Equilibrio Chardonnay and Decanter Platinum Equilibrio Pinot Noir.

Located just east of Melbourne in Victoria and surrounding the Yarra River, Yarra Valley enjoys a mix of influences both Mediterranean and continental with the two main soil types being the bright red, fertile, volcanic soil found mainly around Seville. Yarra Valley has a climate slightly cooler than Bordeaux enabling a range of grapes from Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon and Semillon to Rhone varieties such as Shiraz, Mourvedre, Viognier and Roussanne, but it is the cool climate varieties, most notably Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that the region is becoming most well known for, rivalling the great wines that are coming out of Margaret River and Tasmania.

It is known as the birthplace of Victoria with vines first being planted back in 1838, the region’s wine industry grew rapidly up until the early part of the 21st Century when the wine industry ceased production due to increased demand for fortified wine. It wasn’t until the 1960’s when names such as Dr Bailey Carrodus of Yarra Yerring and Dr John Middleton began replanting that the regions industry was revived. These names who were responsible for bringing the region back to life, have inspired a new generation of winemaker to continue taking the region forward and now Yarra Valley’s wine industry is thriving.

The Yarra Valley has a reputation across Australia as being a region that is buzzing with creativity. With experimental winemakers, pushing the boundaries, creating a culture of ground breaking, innovative winemaking that is driving Yarra Valley’s reputation as one of the most exciting regions in Australia today. This tendency towards pushing the boundaries of winemaking has spawned a minimalist movement in the region and you can find many producers that are creating wines with the absolute minimum of interference, sometimes bottling the wines unfined or unfiltered.

One of the most exciting producers that we’ve discovered from Yarra Valley is Hoddles Creek Estate, owned by winemaker Franco D’Anna. Franco specialises in creating Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With the majority of their plantings in the cooler upper Yarra Valley, Hoddles Creek keep to the Yarra ethos of minimal, gentle winemaking and have created a range of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are up there with some of Australia’s very best.