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The UK's No.1 Australian Wine Specialist
Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River
Now landed and ready to dispatch
The new Art Series collection has finally landed with our bonded partner, LCB. We plan to dispatch all pre-arrival orders on Monday 26th September for delivery on Tuesday 27th September. Please contact the team if Tuesday is not convenient for your delivery and we'll reschedule this for you.
All under bond transfers will also be made during the coming days…
The Past, the future
and climate change
What has been the biggest change in the wine world since you started your career?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Everyone is doing more with less, but that is a global problem??
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Climate change is probably the biggest challenge I’ve seen over the past few decades. I’ve seen the boom bust cycle first hand for the past 20 years, but climate change has been constant.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - Australian, specifically Mclaren Vale wines are being made now in a softer, more fruit driven style with lower alcohol levels, less oak influence and pair better with food. Today’s wines are better and more balanced.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - I have been in the industry for over 25 years. The biggest change is the price of decent burgundy! It has gotten out of control. In Australia, I think the improvement of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir has been remarkable. Wines are now reflecting sites and wineries have developed their own styles and are honing in on quality.
How are the changes to the Australian climate impacting your wine production?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - During 2019 & 2020 I would have said excessive heat, dryness and low yields have made it challenging, but 2021 & 2022 have reversed that trend with mild ripening seasons and better available fruit volumes.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) -The main impact is early harvest dates and trying to pick based on acidity and flavour balance. In 2022 we returned to a later vintage and acidity levels where great at harvest. The hot, early harvests are most challenging.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - We have made simple changes in viticulture to adapt to climate change. This has offset any shift in weather patterns.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Easy question. We made a conscious decision to pull out of Heathcote (having the oldest 3 vineyards there) in 2010. We have since become one of the biggest players in of the coolest regions in Australia, which is the Macedon Ranges. Now we make decisions on how to get more sun onto our grapes in these cool sites rather than watch our Shiraz grapes cook on the vine in Heathcote. (As they did back in 2009 when temperatures got to over 44 degrees on black Saturday.)
What opinions do you have on the collective solution to the Climate crisis?
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I’m pretty jaded on the whole climate action space. Everyone is more interested in their own circumstance and less for the global community as whole. I will take massive economic impact to leading goverments and companies before it becomes a mass collective movement.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - I don’t like the term climate crisis, as it implies that nothing can be done. As technologies change at a rapid pace and countries rapidly adopt them change will happen. Countries’ climate policies are also beginning to reflect the necessary changes required. If a global approach is taken to reducing emissions, it will positively impact on our climate.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - Grape growers and farmers need to make holistic management decisions to reduce or replace practices and inputs that may degrade their ecosystem. On the flipside farmers have the ability to most greatly slow or reverse negative impacts on climate change.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - We need to adopt more heat sturdy varieties in the hotter regions or move growing to cooler regions. Which is happening anyway.
Are you facing pressures to become 'greener'? Are you considering alternative wine packaging? For example, moving away from heavy glass bottles towards a lighter alternative?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Not yet but it is becoming more relevant to discerning drinkers.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - There is pressure to change and I have a unique package, so this is a constant assessment every year on my options. I definitely always try and take the best alternative in how I live day to day and do my best where I can. The information on what is the best option in wine packaging is also not the clearest to decipher.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - We use mainly light standard bottles, only our signature wine Block 6 Shiraz was upgraded in 2017 to a heavier bottle. We will remain with the standard bottles and are liaising with printers on sustainable paper alternatives.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Yes, we are doing more on this front and looking at ways to continually improve our sustainability and minimise our footprint. We have introduced several initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment in the last 5 years. Including, but not limited to, 120 kw of solar panels on the winery roof, compost of cellar door waste, making compost for the vineyards (reducing water use and electricity pumping that water), purchasing a new vineyard spraying that is twice as efficient (halving diesel use and reducing compaction), winery refrigeration upgrades (lowering pump sizes and time used), switching to a locally produced wine bottle rather than an imported one (shipping mainly air is not a good use of burning oil).
Is 'naturalness' / hands-off approach a valid and important concept in your wine?
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I try to let things happen as naturally as possible and I go into each day of harvest with no real plan. My daughter is second year winemaking and she gets frustrated trying to learn from me as I just go with what I feel like at the time. Of course balanced fruit at harvest, a slow natural ferment and naturally stable and settled wine is the goal where possible. I walk on the side of hands-off, but I want an interesting but sound wine in bottle.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - My motto is minimal intervention but maximum attention – wine and ferments need to be properly monitored.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Yes, as we try to reflect the vineyard by what is in your wine glass. Our hands off approach includes using wild ferments, gravity flow, underground barrel hall and not “working” the Pinot Noir ferments hard, using only whole berry ferments, hand harvesting and knowing when to do absolutely nothing to the wines.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – We’re not really hands off, more minimal intervention. The hard work we do in the vineyard means the wines don’t require much manipulation in the winery. We still monitor the wine very carefully so that we can be ready to blend or bottle when things are just right.
What’s the most interesting thing happening in world of wine?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - As vineyards in new world regions mature, great sites and wines are beginning to be revealed.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - A push into discovering and growing rare varieties.
What pledges have you made to be a ‘greener’ producer?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - One of the Pinot Noir Vineyards I purchase fruit from is now organic, all my wines are vegan friendly. It is a WIP, and something I am aware of. However, I have not made any pledges as yet.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - It happens in daily life for me – what is the best choice where I can control it both at work and at home. If I can make a greener choice I’ll do it and have lived this way all through my life – my parents were recycling before there was a recycling movement in our region so I have grown up with it.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - As well as those mentioned previously, moving away from herbicides and non-organic fungicides, more water use efficiency, sourcing lighter, locally made bottles and using recycled cardboard for our packaging.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - At Kay Brothers, there is one thing we probably don’t talk about enough, and that is our sustainable focus, and the hard work we do to maintain the unique and delicate ecosystem that is the entire Amery property, and the reason we are now certified under the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program.
We consider ourselves custodians, who must nurture and care for this special site for future generations to come. To do this, we use biological and regenerative farming principles which aim to improve the fertility and biodiversity of our landscape and create a truly sustainable system.
Every decision we make in the vineyard impacts our entire ecosystem. We start from the ground up to create healthy soils as a foundation to build biodiversity as well as resilient plants that can sustain extreme weather events and any disease pressures that may arise from time to time. There have been no insecticides used at Kay Brothers since the 1970s, and we have replaced herbicide and synthetic fertiliser use with more natural applications of mulch, compost and animal manure.
Did you make a pledge five-years ago? If so, have you succeeded and how?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - No pledges, just a natural want and transition to be greener.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - As mentioned I’ve been make a pledge everyday since an early age and I do the best I can when I can.
Why should consumers be drinking organic / biodynamic wines?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - The irony is a lot of wines are organic (maybe not so many are biodynamic) but the effort to maintain these certifications is rigorous and expensive. I believe organic practices in the vineyard are important to agricultural longevity.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I think the concept of this type of farming means you want to do the best by your soil and your vineyard and if this philosophy runs through into your wines then they should have a head start in quality.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - If they taste good, drink them!
If it were down to you – how would you raise the standard of Australian winemaking and the wine which are offered to consumers?
The natural wine movement needs to be audited, faults are commonplace and celebrated within that circle. Just my opinion but VA, Mousse and Brett faults should be mitigated through pre market release organoleptic assessment – tricky question!!
Producing mass produced cheap wine in Australia will become a thing of the past. Hot inland vineyards using lots of water will become unviable. Australia has become a very expensive place to produce many things. Those cheap mass-produced wines will come more often from developing countries where labour and cost inputs are cheaper.
More collaboration among wineries and winemakers would also raise the standard. Being a participant in the Victorian Pinot Noir annual workshop for the last 15 years, I have seen great improvement in Victorian Pinot Noir. This is a workshop where 40 Victorian Pinot Noir producers meet and assess each other’s unfinished (barrel sample) wines in November blind (randomly selected and without label). With guest speakers, trial work and benchmarking done each year. 15 years ago, these tasting sessions were a fault session. Now producers are talking about site specific wine improvements, and styles and slight adjustments in winemaking inputs, with not a faulty wine in sight. I believe this style of collaboration has help lift the Pinot Noir offering in Australia.
Australian Wine Customers
What wines are your Australian customers enjoying at the moment? Light and bright styles or wines which offer a richer/deeper experience?
Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - There has definitely been a trend in recent years towards more fruit-driven wines. This has had an impact in our winemaking, we are using larger oak barrels and taking the wines out of oak a few months earlier than in the past which has given us better oak integration and made them more approachable in the early years. However, the tannin and structure is still a feature and the potential for aging remains strong. Looking at the varieties Grenache has seen a lot more momentum and the attributes are obvious, it is a variety which is all about fine tannins, bright fruit intensity and immediate consumption.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Wines with space on the palate seem to be our most popular at the moment. By this I mean wines that have concentration yet allow the wines to express themselves and the vineyard from where it was produced. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and the perfect variety to allow this. Wines that are bogged down with added tannins, extra oak, heavy handed extraction in any variety seem to be on the outer.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Well made wine with balance natural acidity.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - There’s still demand for big Barossa reds which no one likes to admit, especially at higher price points. Younger people are more for lighter styles, interesting labels and buying into the story of what you are doing with the wines.
Aussie wine Millennials: Have you seen a distinct change in their drinking habits? On average, what age group is your ‘best’ private customer base?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - All genders 25 to 55 YOA
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Fortunately for us, we have customers ranging from 25 to 85. Those over 50s have been drinking our wines for 20 years and it’s great to see millennials enjoying our wines. They enjoy, and are willing to pay for, quality, reputation and consistency.
Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Our customer base is 50+ and the support during the past two years has been very good. In times of uncertainty people seem to revert to trusted brands.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - My best customer base seems to be late 30’s to late 40’s, people confident and exploring different styles and producers. They also like the quality of the wine to be backed up by an interesting package.
Are consumers demanding more biodynamic / organic wine?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Not my customers specifically.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - There’s talk out there for this, the whole industry needs to shift this way, but it will take growers not being able to sell grapes for the whole industry to change, there needs to be an economic hit to encourage a change.
Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - The demand on biodynamic / organic wine has increased marginally in Australia but is still much behind European markets.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Not that I have seen. Yet saying that, if the wine tastes the same, they would choose organic or biodynamic.
There is evidence of wine companies catering to gender differences. What is your view of this?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - I am not sexist. Our wines cater for all people above 18. Making those conscience decisions to target different markets due to their gender is not what we aspire to or chase.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Sounds like some companies have budgets for a marketing department, whatever helps sell wine can’t be a bad thing.
Do Aussie consumers prefer the cellar door experience over the ability to purchase via your e-shop? What was your split for 2021?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - We were in lockdown for more than 6 months in 2021 so it’s not ideal year to look at and compare. There is no doubt that our customers prefer to buy a bottle of wine to enjoy in our restaurant and then take a few home with them when they leave. We find that people who live interstate or a fair distance from our winery will buy via our online shop or as a part of our wine club subscription.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Definitely Cellar Door, but online has also been solid – 50:50
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I only have an e-shop so it’s all here, but if I get a chance to host someone and explain what I’m doing then I get more traction from this. Face to face will always be better for long term customers.
Do you see a significant shift away from Red wine sales (in preference to White and Rosé) during your summer months?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Not particularly, although our Rosé wine sales more than double from September through to April. People are still buying and enjoying red wine throughout the warmer summer months. There’s nothing better than a glass of Pinot Noir or Shiraz with a barbequed steak.
Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - 95% of our production is red wines. We have introduced a Grenache based Rosé in 2015 which we sell predominately through our Cellar Door and online.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Temperature does effect this a bit, but people still drink red in an air conditioned restaurant. I’ve seen plenty of reds produced from an esky full of ice during summer so each to their own I reckon.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Marginally
What are the big trends in wine consumer behaviour for 2022 / 2023 and how are you adopting strategies to meet those trend(s)?
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Customers are liking richer Chardonnays again; my style will remain the same but with a slight elevation in Malo lactic. Chilled reds are also becoming a thing. My wines are also suited to this, so I always mention it to consumers.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Wine consumerism is forever shifting and evolving. We don’t chase these ‘trends’, as doing so, you will always be one step behind. We have the confidence in our product, and we make it the best we can.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I am production focussed – so I control what I can in producing the wines I like to make, if I focussed on the market I’m sure I’d be more successful!
A slight shift but a worthy question. Are English wines easily available in Australia? Have you sampled any? Thoughts? What’s the Aussie opinion of them?
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I’ve tried some sparkling wines from England and not remembering the producer I do recall thinking they were great. Lots of potential here and I’d be keen to try more.
Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Extremely difficult to find and no I haven’t personally tasted English wines.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Yes, a few sparklings. Some look great and are punching above their French counterparts. Still not widely available or consumed in Australia. The general consumer is still conservative and will stick with what they know.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - English sparkling wines are well regarded and are good wines. Outside that I don’t actively seek them out.
Confessions of a winemaker...
Currently, what are your top three wines of 2022? (Not including your own!)
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Tasmanian Pinot Noir, Coonawarra Cab Sav (Cab is back baby!!) & good Riesling from anywhere!!
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - From Australia, Oakridge 2020 Henk Chardonnay, Frankland Estate 2020 Isolation Ridge Riesling, Bindi Block 5 Pinot Noir 2020.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - 2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto, 2019 Chatto Bird Pinot Noir (Tasmania), 2013 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Mental blank here, I’m hopeless in writing down or diarising the great wines as I go along, it is one thing I wish I was better at. I know there has been some crackers but I’m always looking forward to the next wine to try.
In your opinion, what makes a great wine?
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I think a great wine is always about the context you drink it in. Everyone has had the experience of a great wine which was a bit lacklustre just tasting it in a sterile tasting format, compared to a wine you have within a social setting that enhances the whole experience.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Concentration, purity, length and the story the vineyard tells in the glass.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) -
A bottle of great wine is one that when shared amongst a group creates a positive conversation. It should evolve in the glass and have you wishing there were more bottles to come once it is empty.
A great wine is all about balance. In the summary it is about depth and complexity, balance, a long finish and finesse.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Balance and fault free
In your opinion, who produces the best Aussie wines? Red and whites?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Winemakers and growers with passion, there are many of them. Such as Bindi, Farr, Curly Flat & Mount Mary, all producer great reds and whites.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – Wendouree for reds. Tyrells for whites.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - There’s too many people doing too many different things for me to pull some names out off the top of my head – I’ve got question fatigue.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Reds – Giant steps single vineyard Pinot Noirs, Whites – Tasmanian Sav Blancs (Gala), incredibly expressive.
Imagine the world without the wine media – where would you rank your wines against all other Aussie producers?
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I didn’t get into wine to compete, I do it because I love the physical process and then seeing someone enjoying the wine completes the experience. Where it stacks up against other wines is irrelevant to me and makes what is a natural product enjoyed in a leisure setting, into a competition of comparison, which doesn’t sit right for me.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) - Middle to high
Michael Wehrs (Kay Brothers) - Our wines are from a unique site, the longstanding experience of the Kay family and its custodians deliver authentic wines with longevity and balance. Whilst we are embracing evolution we are not about fashion and trends. The wines itself can compete with some of the top producers like Henschke.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - It is not for me to rank our wines, that is for our consumers and wine industry peers.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - My Italian wine friends from Lucca, Tuscany. They taught me how to enjoy food and wine and the stories they bring.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) - Wineries that inspired me; Wendouree, Clarendon Hills and Williams Selyem
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I think not just one person but the region I grew up in. I’m not from a wine or vineyard family and drinking wines at a young age and discovering the process really tweaked my interest. So I think the immersion in the Barossa overtime became the inspiration. There’s been many friends, colleagues and mentors over time that seem to come at the right time which also add to the journey.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Mac Forbes, Steve Flamsteed, any great wine gives me inspiration.
Describe your perfect day.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Tough question as one day is never enough, and always a compromise as you can’t do it all at once. It would have to start early with some loving, then breakfast with the family with our home-grown eggs and Istra bacon and a glass or two of Tattinger Comtes 2008. Probably followed by some fresh tracks on some great powder at Falls Creek ski resort. Lunch would feature fresh blue fin tuna that I caught the day before off Bass Strait. Some GG Riesling and some Grand Cru Chardonnay would have to make an appearance. Maybe another afternoon ski session followed by a Coopers Pale Ale in the spa with the family talking about the day’s activities. Dinner would have to be a great restaurant with great wines from around the world, shared with friends. It would be a late night with dancing involved and a Negroni or two to finish.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - It’s winter here at the moment, so for me it’s the faint warmth and light of the winter sun and heading out to on old white block I tend to every year. Listen to a few motivational podcasts whilst pruning, then have some time to think and unwind and let being out in nature inspire creative ideas for the future. I’d then grab an armful of bottles and head to a local restaurant with some mates and dine, drink and laugh until it becomes tomorrow.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Sleeping in, breakfast with the family, rose by our pool with friends.
What is the most overrated wine on the market right now (your name will be redacted unless you are brave)?
Grange.
I try and see the positive in all wine tasting experiences, to over rate it, it must be rated which means someone likes it out there.
Cloudy natural wines with high acetic acid levels.
And the most underrated? Of course, excluding yours…
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Aussie Riesling, such as a $15 Jim Barry Watervale.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Cabernet Sauvignons from Yarra Valley and Coonawarra
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – Clare Valley Riesling is the most under rated wine in Australia.
What would you have as your last meal (include all your wine choices)?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) -
Probably food that is soft, as hopefully I will be old by then and half my teeth would have fallen out due to all the great Burgundy I’d have drunk. So, let’s go with this;
Freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with Tattinger Comptes 2008 to start. A beer wedge, Coopers Pale Ale. Followed by some freshly caught bass straight blue fin tuna with a 2015 Wittman Morstien Riesling. Some hand dived crayfish with pepper, probably with a young Domain Leflaive Montrachet. Fois grois with young DRC, probably Romanee-St-Vivant (it is underrated this vineyard.) Some rare Hanger Steak with an Aussie Pinot, maybe a Bindi Block 5 Cheese, probably Compte with an old Wendouree Shiraz I should be full by then, so I’d finish with a Negroni
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers)
Entree – Tuna sashimi with Vasse Felix Hytesbury Chardonnay
Main – Loin lamb chops with 2016 Kay Brothers Griffon’s Key Grenache
Dessert – Mousse a’ chocolate with 1975 Pirramimma Vintage Port
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Mine would be simple and down the line. I’d love to name a famous restaurant but I want to cook it. I’d have a gin and tonic whilst getting everything organised just to get the relaxation boots on. I’d have some grower champagne (boring) just to kick things off wine wise and get the palate charged. Then some Kingfish ceviche with a bottle of textured and taut Chardonnay. I’d then jump into something super simple, fresh, warm sourdough, great salty butter and some gooey soft white cheese with a Chateauneuf du Pape blanc - then a whole lot of Charcuterie with a crunchy Grenache, preferably fermented and stored in cement. Then I’d have a great cut of beef with fries et al with a Barolo then I’d finish this all off with an amaro on ice with and orange wedge, pretty full and pretty drunk it appears.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Kobi beef, Brussel sprouts with a magnum of Bordeaux from a great vintage (not corked though)
What’s more important in wine – aroma or mouthfeel?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Tough, as the aroma is the first thing you notice, so probably that. (However If the wine smells bad it is not going in the mouth). But if the wine smells good, mouthfeel is more important.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – For me it’s aroma.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - For me it is texture and mouthfeel in wine, I like the sensory experience of this on the palate. I like minerality, acidity, tannin so definitely in the mouth is where it is at.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Aroma, but mouthfeel is a very close second
Have you ever covered up a mistake while making wine?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Yes, but I’m not telling. Some secrets have to remain in the wine game.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Not yet
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Sure – nobody’s perfect. Blending is such a forgiving experience.
What’s your favourite, a blend or single variety?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - Single variety always.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines)– Varietals
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I like textured Southern Rhone white blends, they can be a bit fat, but the vintages with acidity and the waxy, textured, leesy mouthfeel really sit well with me. Having said that, a great bottle of Chardonnay would be equally as good. So I’m on the fence here – yes to both.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – Single varietals
If you could go back 5-8 years, what would change in your winemaking / in the winery / in the vineyard?
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) - I should have invested in more wine for comparison, as it was much cheaper back then!
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines)– Nothing, its all been great learning
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - I’d definitely harvest earlier than I did back then. I’ve seen more aromatic expression in earlier harvested fruit and more ability to define texture and structure, I think the wines have more beauty when they are fresher.
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – Plant more Grenache.
Who is Australia’s unsung wine hero and why?
Duncan Kennedy (Kay Brothers) – The hand picking and pruning gangs they do the most important work and the only praise they get is a pay cheque.
Jaysen Collins (JC’s Own) - Insert name of anyone being authentic in what they are doing and getting some pleasure out of the amazing industry in and surrounding wine.
Chris Coulter (Coulter Wines) – Wow – so many awesome older/ex corporate winemakers etc that generously pass down knowledge and expertise for no other reason that a common passion in wine.
Alister Timms (Shadowfax Winery) – The winemaker’s dog. Always loyal after a long day during vintage.
View all Kay Brother's Wines
After a slight delay we're pleased to announce August's winning review which came from Ben. He will be receiving two fabulous bottles of wine, delivered directly to his doorstep, this weekend.
We have loved watching your reviews continue to flow in, the stream of positive feedback has been hugely satisfying and we’re extremely grateful. We are always appreciative that so many of you are taking the time to let us know what you think of The Vinorium and the wines you have purchased from us.
As promised, we will be continuing to pick a reviewer (literally out of a hat – Stu’s cycling helmet) each month to win a few cracking bottles of wine as an incentive to keep adding reviews to the site.
Please continue to watch for the review emails landing in your inbox a week after you place an order with us and we’ll be giving away another few bottles to a reviewer next month.
Ben's review of our 2019 Glaetzer-Dixon Avance Pinot Noir is pretty much spot on!
"Such a (rare) delight to experience this level of depth and fullness at the price point. A wonderful burst of round, ripe raspberries and cherries - heading into black cherries. The oak lends some gentle baking spice and there's ample acidity to stop it from becoming OTT at any point. Being unfiltered and unfined lends great texture and weight in the mouth. Just so delicious!"
Shop the last of our Summer Sale
For one reason or another, our discussions with Accolade Wines have been on and off for much of this year. Neither side has hit their stride along with the inevitable changes at their UK division, which adds months to any discussions. The Vinorium was a very good customer with purchases (in less than two-years) totalling 16,142 bottles. The biggest sellers being 2015 Eileen Chardonnay (4,140 bottles), 2012 Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz (822 bottles), 2015 Bay of Fires Chardonnay (1,500 bottles), 2013 Grant Burge Corryton Park Cabernet (684 bottles) and The House of Arras collection (1,434 bottles) to name a few…
It’s all change for their fine wine team, nonetheless we are committed to working together. Ultimately, we aim to bring niche parcels of wines to you. Of course, we are keen to receive samples of their current Eileen Chardonnay and the Bay of Fires collection however, it’s going to be quite the wait as they are struggling with domestic supply versus demand. It remains our priority and talks with Australia are planned for next week.
For now, we are delighted to provide our customers with several wines from Tassie sparkling genius, Ed Carr. Outside of Champagne, House of Arras is leading the way – the list of awards and accolades are too numerous to mention. I was privileged to join Ed for his Lifetime Achievement Award at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine Championships, 2018 for his contribution to the development and success of the sparkling wine industry. He was the only non-champenois winemaker to receive the award, a testament to the world-class credentials of House of Arras wines.
It takes Australian sparkling onto a level of texture and complexity that no other producer can seek to achieve. Comparisons with Krug or Bollinger are valid, regardless of preferences.” - James Halliday
He’s absolutely correct, particularly when you open Ed’s Late Disgorged – the current release, the 2007 spent 14-years ageing on lees in tirage prior to being released... We’re working on it!
Australia's most awarded sparkling wine
House of Arras Grand Vintage 2013
Today, we offer a small parcel (just 300 bottles and we have all of the UK stock) of the stunning 2013 Grand Vintage (Chardonnay 62%, Pinot Noir 38%), the 15th release of this wine. Crafted in the traditional sparkling winemaking method, combined with fastidious and modern viticultural techniques. The fruit is hand-picked and gently pressed with only the highest quality juice selected for fermentation. Further complexity and character are built into the wine with 10% fermentation in first use French Oak barriques followed by 100% malolactic fermentation. The blended wine has been matured for seven years in tirage ensuring a depth and complexity consistent with the worlds’ finest cuvées.
Decanter awarded 98 Points, “This exudes opulence on a grand scale, from its rich, persistent mousse, through the surging complex flavours that wash luxuriously across the palate. With 62% Chardonnay showing radiant personality and assured citrus flavours, everything in this blend is perfectly balanced: bright fruit, mineral drive, great depth of flavour, refreshing acidity, extraordinary palate length and firm persistence.”
Stuart McCloskey - Tasted 21st September 2022 "Another killer bouquet from Ed, which bounds from the glass with barley sugar, peach, crisp apple and honeycomb. Buttered toast, a faint whiff of smoke, apricot along with mocha emerge with further aeration. The bouquet represents House of Arras perfectly – not afraid to deliver on the ‘exuberant’ side. The palate took me by surprise. Usually, the previous releases followed a similar path to the bouquet however, I sense a change in Ed’s winemaking style as this is more focused, super-bright, pure and incredibly precise. The palate-feel retains its sensual edge, but elegance plays the key role. Minerality, citrus supported by chalk-like extract brings this closer to Grand Cru Champagne than any other release I have sampled. The finish is incredibly long and finishes with the faintest kiss of saline… Cellaring: Youthful but incredibly welcoming, nonetheless. I would love to see this in ten years. Served using Zalto Universal glassware."
A note on pricing...
We must honour Accolade’s global pricing policy which we are happy to follow, when instances reflect correctly. However, and after a recent sampling session spanning a selection of other brands within their portfolio, serious price hikes do not always correlate to what’s inside the bottle. Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay being a case in point – now retailing at £79.99 along with the likes of Leeuwin’s Art Series. Tiers was a super wine, and I would happily pay £34.99 however, there appears to be a disconnect from our wishes and cold stone reality.
House of Arras has always been a worthwhile purchase – few can find fault with their pricing. In fact, many feel they should reflect a higher price which brings them in line with their global achievements. For a short period, Accolade have supported an introductory promotion (ending 12:00 noon, Monday 26 September) which I am incredibly grateful for.
Pre-Arrival Special
Available for delivery week of 3 October.
Duty paid by-the-bottle @ £41.95 per bottle
Under Bond by-the-case @ £185.00 per case of six
Prices will automatically revert to £49.95 per bottle and £232.50 in bond post promotion cut-off…
House of Arras Blanc de Blancs NV
For fans of ‘pure’ Chardonnay, we are delighted to offer Ed’s NV Blanc de Blancs, a sparkling wine that fully expresses the character of Tasmanian Chardonnay. This delicious, bottle fermented wine has extensive tirage maturation giving a beautiful balance of vibrant fruit and secondary complexity. A sophisticated style with fantastic poise and energy
Pre-Arrival Special
Available for delivery week of 3 October.
Duty paid by-the-bottle @ £20.95 per bottle
Under Bond by-the-case @ £87.60 per case of six
The price will automatically revert to £23.90 per bottle and £102.35 in bond post promotion cut-off…
Decanter / Part of Expert's choice: New World sparkling wines
94 Points “The elegance of this Blanc de Blancs with 30 months lees ageing allows the Chardonnay to shine through with sophisticated notes of citrus fruits, peach, crunchy green apples, jasmine, almonds and fresh dough. On the palate it shows Champagne-like finesse with delicate yeasty complexity, seductive creamy texture and a classy, persistent and refreshing finish. Linear style, vibrant and elegant with a savoury edge.”
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