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A Taste of Issue: 15 / Sunday 11 March, 2018    Exclusive to The Vinorium, Watershed Our ‘Awakening the Senses’ Pre-Delivery Offer (Offer closes 9:00am Monday 26 March) Our first shipment has left the port of Fremantle and with fingers crossed, will be arriving at our HQ week commencing 14 May. The founders of Watershed went to great lengths to appropriate some of the best Chardonnay growing soils in Margaret River, which is not an easy task given the breadth and depth of world class sites and producers. They undertook a lengthy survey of the entire peninsula to determine the most salubrious soils and opportune mesoclimate (the climate of a small area). Watershed is a young winery however, and despite their infancy, there are few producers who can lay claim to such success. Allow me to run through some of the highlights – Their 2014 Awakening Cabernet Sauvignon has been awarded the 2017 Royal Hobart Wine Show’s Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon and Trophy for Best Red Wine in Show. This win continues the run of success for the ’14 which has now won 13 gold medals and 8 trophies, including the Perth Royal Wine Show’s Best Cabernet Trophy for the past two years and the 2017 Wine Show of Western Australia’s Trophy for Best Wine of Show. As tribute to the quality of Watershed’s Cabernets, James Halliday awarded 98 points for the multiple trophy-winning 2010 Awakening Cabernet in his 2017 Top 100 Wines and 2018 Australian Wine Companion. The accumulation of awards for Watershed’s Awakening Cabernets is staggering with 19 trophies, 42 gold medals and finalist for the Jimmy Watson Trophy, with the winner being another one of our wines, Deep Woods. Watershed's Awakening is the elite of the range, and their flagship Chardonnay which has been treated to an extravagant vinification by a highly accomplished team is something very special indeed. Artisanal Burgundian winemaking techniques are used to infuse the palate with rich textures and lees complexity. Awakening is vinified exclusively from handpicked grapes, grown to a single, choice block of vine on the Watershed property. Inoculated by wild indigenous yeasts and completely barrel fermented in a selection of new and one year old French oak barriques for a wine of remarkable richness and complexity. Of course, this is also a winner of multiple awards, conspicuous national wine show accolades and another 98 points from James Halliday.  2016 Awakening Single Block Chardonnay 98 Points - James Halliday Top 100 2017 "The soaring intensity and precision of the wine obliterates any comment about the oak. It is one of those uncommon chardonnays that demands you give it time, the more the merrier. Grapefruit is the masthead, but it gathers around it a suite of flavours that keep its energy and drive on track." 2017 Awakening Single Block Chardonnay Pre-delivery price £59.45 per 2 pack (2016 & 2017)  2014 Awakening Cabernet Sauvignon Specially selected parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon have been blended to produce this wine for the Awakening range. The wine displays complex aromas of blackcurrant, liquorice and chocolate mint, with hints of mocha. On the palate, the dense velvety texture is complemented by cigar box, black olive notes followed by fine silky tannins from 18 months maturation in French oak barriques.
Top Gold & 4 Trophies – 2017 Wine Show of Western Australia – Trophy Best Wine of Show, Trophy Best Red Wine of Show, Trophy Best Cabernet Sauvignon, Trophy Best and Most Distinctive Regional Character Pre-delivery price £41.95 per bottle  2010 Awakening Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Points – James Halliday Top 100 2017 "Swept all before it in '12 with seven trophies and six gold medals, and hasn't lost the vibrancy of its youth. It is not a powerhouse, rather it is elegant, medium-bodied and very long, its cassis fruit delicately framed by tannins woven through high quality French oak."
Pre-delivery price £41.95 per bottle * Maximum of 6 bottles per customer  2014 Senses Sauvignon Blanc Best 2014 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc – The Real Review 2017 95 Points – James Halliday Wine Companion 2016 "Half fermented in French oak, half in stainless steel. The oak is evident on the bouquet, but the tsunami of intense fruit on the palate sweeps all else away; opens with snow pea and lemon, then moves into passionfruit, finishing with crystalline acidity." 95 Points – Ray Jordan West Weekend Magazine 2016 2015 Senses Sauvignon Blanc 94 Points – Ray Jordan 2017 West Australian Wine Guide Sold on a first come first served basis Pre-delivery price £35.90 per 2 pack (2014 & 2015)  2016 Senses Chardonnay 96 Points "James Halliday Wine Companion 2016
Pre-delivery price £14.95 per bottle  2011 Senses Viognier A portion of our 2011 Viognier was fermented in French oak with the balance fermented in tank. The result is a style with intense and complex aromas of frangipani, apricot candied citrus and spice. This wine displays the classic varietal characteristics of Viognier, with a viscous, creamy mouthfeel highlighted by textured cashew nuts on the finish. Pre-delivery price £14.95 per bottle  2014 Senses Shiraz 95 Points – James Halliday 2018 Australian Wine Companion "Night-harvested, 4 days cold soak, small batch-fermented for up to 2 weeks, matured for 8 months in American (27% new), Hungarian (7.5% new) and French (5.5% new) oak. Deep colour; a very complex shiraz, in terms of flavour and structure; oak plays a significant role in the mocha/dark chocolate/spice components, but the purple and black fruits are more than a match, assisted by tannins in creating the stimulating texture on the 94 Points – Ray Jordan 2018 West Australian Wine Guide Pre-delivery price £14.95 per bottle  2016 Shades Chardonnay This fruit driven unoaked Chardonnay has been produced using premium grapes from the Margaret River region. The wine exhibits the classic varietal Chardonnay aromas of peaches and citrus. On the palate, vibrant notes of stone fruit are complemented by fresh grapefruit characters and a creamy, nutty soft finish. Pre-delivery price £12.50 per bottle  2017 Shades Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon Silver Medal – 2017 Wine Show of Western Australia The blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon is one of the classic Margaret River wine styles. The Sauvignon Blanc in this wine displays tropical fruit and citrus aromas which are complemented by the grassy nuances of Semillon. On the palate, the wine is fresh and vibrant showing passion fruit characters with a lingering crisp finish. Pre-delivery price £12.50 per bottle .png) News Snippets  Decanter Man of the Year 2018 Eduardo Chadwick has been named 'Decanter Man of the Year 2018', which is a wonderful accolade and places Eduardo amongst the elite including; Steven Spurrier, Aubert de Villaine of DRC, Christian Moueix (Petrus), Paul Draper (Ridge), Robert Mondavi, Max Schubert (Penfolds and the creator of Grange). Eduardo is the man behind Errázuriz, Seña, Viñedo Chadwick, Las Pizarras, Don Maximiano, Kai, La Cumbre, Caliterra and took the world by storm during the Berlin Tasting of 2004, when Eduardo pitted his top Cabernets against the very best in the world (Chateaux Lafite, Latour, Margaux and the super-Tuscan, Solaia) in a blind tasting with trade professionals chaired by Steven Spurrier, who had himself upset the established wine world order at his famous Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976, when Californian wines usurped French classics Famously, in Berlin Eduardo wines prevailed, rated in the two top spots. .png)  Decanter has just awarded one of our wines, 2016 Vina Cobos, Felino Cabernet Sauvignon a very respectable 90 points. Great tasting note too “Graphite and mineral nose, with lifted black fruit aromas. Medium bodied with restrained and elegant tannins. Savoury and sappy with juicy, supple dark fruits behind it. Cracking value for money!” £13.95 per bottle .png) New UK Exclusivity:  Our list of UK exclusivities is growing with another super-premium producer onboard. Peter or ‘Dredgy’ as he’s commonly known is based in Tasmania and has been involved in wine for over twenty years, both in Tassie and his home state of South Australia. Dr Edge was a nickname given to Peter by a few people early on whilst working as a cellar hand at Petaluma in the late 1990’s. There’s a great story behind the artwork too, which we will share when we launch the wines in a month or so… We are incredibly fortunate to work with Dredgy as a ‘cult following’ would be an understatement. He producers four, utterly gorgeous Pinot Noirs which historically sell-out within nine to ten weeks following their respective release, which is mightily impressive. Quantities are small and allocations are highly prized however, and to quote Dredgy “I am more than aware of your company (The Vinorium). It would be an honour to get involved” which is fantastic news for us all… .png) Bordeaux 2015  Neal Martin’s 2015 Bordeaux ‘bottled’ scores were the final piece of the jigsaw with all critics’ scores published or so we thought... As previously reported, Neal resigned from his position with Robert Parker and hopped across to Antonio Galloni’s Vinous (Antonio was previously employed by R.Parker too). In short, Neal (whilst serving his full notice period) prepared his 2015 Bordeaux report, which and as with all of Neal’s work, is incredibly detailed and immensely important. However, a decision was taken to not ‘officially’ publish Neal’s report or tasting notes, which has caused an outcry from many R. Parker subscribers. The situation is sadly a little more dark as Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW was hurriedly packed off to Bordeaux and her own 2015 Bordeaux report and scores were published. The question we have all posted is ‘what is the harm of publishing two reports particularly as 1. Neal Martin was R.Parker's senior Bordeaux correspondent and 2. For the sake of completeness, Neal’s bottling scores must be published along his initial report / scores to show some form of continuity’. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW’s response on this specific subject “It is not our policy to have two reviews / scores for the same wine and issue in the database” which and to put it bluntly, is nonsense as there are multiple years were Robert Parker and Neal's Bordeaux reviews/scores appear in the database. Neal's are listed in the "other reviews" section! Currently, R.Parker.com has caused untold damage to their reputation, which is something they needed to avoid after losing Neal to Vinous. Despite some mild pushback and common sense suggestions there seems to be no change. I hope Vinous offers Neal the respect his report deserves. Our 2015’s are packed and will be leaving Bordeaux within 10-14 days. We have kept a little of our own En-Primeur stock back which consists of several 100 point wines, several 98-99 pointers and some of the ‘best’ absolute bargains from the satellite appellations of the Right Bank. We will be adding more wines over the coming weeks therefore, keep checking our homepage link. A few wines to whet your appetite (Delivery Mid April)  2015 Château Pavie Macquin98 Points James Suckling So much violet and lilac aromas to this with blackberry and blueberry character, too. Full-bodied and delivering limestone, chalk and lavender on the palate. Great structure, too. Needs four or five years to soften. Better in 2022. £300.00 In Bond per case (6x75cl)  2015 Château Haut Brion Rouge100 Points - Neal Martin The 2015 Haut-Brion is a blend of 50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc picked between 8 September and 5 October. Of course, it showed majestically out of barrel, so pressure was on in bottle. Deep in color, the bouquet is a real showstopper: blackberry, raspberry, sage, black olive and warm gravel...this is a profoundly complex bouquet that is nuanced and beautifully delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and ample freshness, but don’t be deceived because this is a very structured Haut-Brion built for the long-term. Remarkably the 14.9% alcohol is completely disguised. It feels incredibly long, and yet instead of fanning out, it shuts down the door on the finish. It is a behemoth of a wine, one that is up there with the legends of the past. Anticipated maturity: 2025 - 2070. £2800.00 In Bond per case (6x75cl)  2015 Château Les Cruzelles93 Points - Neal Martin The 2015 Les Cruzelles has a fragrant, pure and winsome bouquet with joyful dark cherry and crushed strawberry aromas. It has clearly lost the bashfulness it showed in barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well balanced with succulent, brambly red fruit mixed with truffle and a hint of black olive. This has really blossomed in barrel and frankly, it shows up a lot of Pomerol crus this vintage. Factor in the price that this was released en primeur and if you do not have a case in your cellar, well, too bad! Anticipated maturity: 2020 - 2030. £90.00 In Bond per case (6x75cl) See the rest... .png) Wine of the Week  2014 DuMOL Finn The nose is very intense and does require a good hour in a decanter to unlock its captivating bouquet of dark berries, bilberry and sous-bois. The palate is medium-bodied exquisitely balanced with ultra-fine tannins. At times the ‘Finn’ comes across as something very powerful, at other times sensory. Certainly, a mercurial Pinot Noir which washes effortlessly across your palate. Extraordinary, a moving wine Sadly, only 460 cases of this Pinot Noir were made for the World and I have four as this is something very special indeed Stuart McCloskey 99-100 Points (two bottles consumed to date!) and, I am convinced this celestial wine will receive 100 points in 4-5 years.  £84.50 per bottle In case you missed it...  "The Tatiarra wines have the potential, given the creative forces behind them, to be the next Penfolds Grange of Australia"The original vineyard was established by Bill Hepburn in the early 1990's consisting of 10 acres of low cropping vines. It was a modest start, with borrowed equipment, friendly neighbours and supportive family. Bill spent those early years camped in a caravan, not far from a large gum tree under which he built a ‘thunderbox’ (thus the inspiration for Tatiarra’s flagship wine, the Caravan of Dreams). However, the long cold nights finally got to Bill and he decided it was time to pass the dream on... |
