Australia

Exclusive to The Vinorium

Pinot noir shaped by terroir and season. Sheer, elemental nature. A story of terroir; five clones from across a single Derwent Valley vineyard make this a complex, aromatic, spicy style.

Raspberry, spice, bushland perfume, riberry, musk. Unbridled and fresh with fine, rounded tannins.

METHOD NATUREL: Cool climate single vineyard origin: Derwent Valley Tasmania 42.6°S Handpicked on a fruit day after the harvest moon Whole bunch wild ferment with gentle pigeage 2 months on skins, matured 12 months in old demi-muid Basket pressed, bottled unfined and unfiltered with perfect natural balance.

95 Points - James Halliday "A blend of all three single vineyards comprising 60% Derwent Valley, 30% Tamar Valley and 10% East Coast. A good combo with the same intense precision and length but the flavours seem somewhat bolstered, a sum of its parts perhaps. Lemon drops and zest, lemon saline, aniseed and lovely creamy, ginger fluff flavours across the palate from the lees. The acidity is electric and lights this up."

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "A blend of Tamar Valley, East Coast & Derwent Valley fruit. Well, this wine is, including a full laser show. Lemon rind, bread dough, wheatgerm, aniseed, cinnamon and white peach. Intense, precise, so much crunch and energy, chalk dust, green olive and brine, searing long finish. Drink while wearing sunglasses, and little else. That’s how pure and cool it is."

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "Quite a challenging vintage; a good start to the season followed by a long slow finish. Harvested early May, 12.8 Baumé. 5% whole bunch, indigenous yeast and no adjustments. 16-18 months in 4-10 year old barriques. SO2 added post Malo and prior to bottling. This wine took time to blossom but is now one of our favourites. Also Norman’s last solo vintage!

Our tasting note to follow...

98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “A lovely, super-pure Margaret River bouquet revealing sweet blackcurrant, lavender, violets, a beautiful floral lift which works a treat with the herbal undertones and touches of iodine. For me, this wine is all about ‘texture’ which is wonderful, but let’s start from the beginning. ‘The Ace’ is their flagship creation blended from two clones, one an isolate of the Houghton’s clone and one a descendent from Margaux in Bordeaux (70% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 5, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 337). There is a captivating symmetry and precision which I find irresistible. The fruit exudes an almost exotic quality but is entirely unforced. I love the touch of graphite on the finish. The wine flows effortlessly supported by velvet tannins (just a touch of dusty grip which creeps in). Satin-like in texture with an opulence and luxuriousness which are kept on a tight leash. It fans out perfectly on the finish. This is a deeply impressive wine and one which would benefit from 10-15 years in a cellar however, this delivers so much pleasure today. An amazing wine regardless of whether you decide to drink today or store… Decanted for five hours and served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

96+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Adorable and sampled without decanting. The bouquet is veracious and provides layers of creamy raspberry, dark plum and mulberry compote. Warming spices (white pepper) develop with more aeration and a touch of toasty French oak and cedar. The palate is vivid, fun and provides a Smörgåsbord of red and black fruits with a soupçon of dried mint. I appreciate the cooling feel / acidity. Dark chocolate / cocoa interplay with a little tart cranberry. Flavours build and change the more you taste (at the five minute mark, I pick up woodsmoke). This is a wine full of honest, good intentions which is admirable. Serve now or cellar to 2028. Decant for 2-3 hours. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

97 – 97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “I love the beetroot black colour – it’s so appealing I want to don my swimming trunks and jump in. This is unlike any young Malbec I have sampled and certainly one of the finest Aussie examples I have ever tasted. The nose is wonderfully brooding with pen ink, charcoal, iron ore, cold steel and dark, fruity chocolate. If I dare say, I draw similarities to Standish wines, albeit in a cool climate vein (I support this by the depth, complexity and similar aromatics).  The palate is beautifully textured, which is a clear hallmark. The tannins are plush, velvety and the acidity fine. There’s plenty to appreciate and respect. The black fruits are graphite tinged and remain forever on the palate – I detect a little verve from blood orange. This is truly outstanding – it genuinely is. Decanted for 5 hours and served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drink now and / or cellar for 10+ years”.  

96++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Another wine which I sampled over two days with day two showing a blossoming beauty. Unmistakably from the Margaret River with screaming aromatics of blackcurrant, leather, black olive, cedar, mint, dark chocolate. The palate is ripe and packed with flavour. As you would expect, it lacks some of the depth of Ace of Spades, but it is a stellar effort nonetheless, and one which richly deserves to be enjoyed by us all. There’s a lovely freshness which underlines the wine’s character. Tannins are svelte with the merest smidgeon of dust / dried herb, which adds character. Wait a few minutes and a tang from orange peel emerges along with savoury, earthy notes. Lots of bright acidity which lifts the wine. A belter and one that can be enjoyed now through to 2028. Decant for 2-3 hours. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Jaysen Collins (winemaker) - "Vermouth, the name derived from the German 'Wermut' for wormwood, was usually made to cover up some flawed wine. Add some aromatics and a bit of spirit and all is made right again. I wanted to try it on the opposite spectrum, make the best white wine I could, source some premium herbs and spices and have a bash at it. This dry Wermut is made from premium Marsanne, grown on the western ridge in the Barossa Valley. The wine is wild fermented and aged on lees for texture and body.

96 Points - James Halliday

This hits the bullseye, a great example of the synergy between place and variety. Its colour is good, as is the bouquet, and that arrow arrives the moment the wine enters the mouth. It has waves of luscious, juicy red and black fruits that fill every corner of the palate, tannins and oak doing the job expected of them.

Winemaker "Vibrant, unmistakably Coonawarra to smell and taste, bursting with flavours of blackcurrant, mulberry and herbs, and fine, elegant and juicy in the mouth. The wine is quite low in oak, with just a smidge of vanillin showing faintly on the mid palate, but otherwise the brambly, blackcurrant flavours demand all the attention. Fine silky tannins integrate with the fruit and minimal oak treatment to produce an approachable well rounded wine with an extended length."