   Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. Being the UK’s leading Aussie wine specialist, it would be indefensible not to begin this weekend's read with a tribute to the colossus that is James Halliday AM who announced his retirement this week. Unquestionably, his contribution to the Australian wine landscape, will forever be unmatched. Most wine journalists / critics have lost the art of writing and prefer to rely on a few digits which somehow gives worth to their positions. Mr Halliday, on the other hand, has written over 40-books along with producing great wine at Coldstream Hills (the founder) and Brokenwood. Statement from James Halliday AM “Late last year I made the decision that I was going to seriously cut back on my work commitments. Having turned 85 I wanted to fully focus on what I want to do, and that is writing about 50 years of great wine dinners I've attended or staged. This work has no deadline, has no space constraints, and is something that has been simmering in my mind and heart for the past half-decade as my ‘swansong’. Recent health issues have made me wish even more for this to have my sole attention. So, while my fondness for writing is undiminished, and with my family's support, I will be quiet on the wine media front until I can share the birth of my last child”. “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis  Available in the UK for the first time COMMON Sourced from the Utopos vineyard by Kym Teusner We are thrilled to unveil ‘Common Ground’ a trio of wines born from the Utopos vineyard, which and unlike their big brothers, provide consumers with immediate satisfaction… Diluted and feeble they are not – they are true to ‘Utopos’ style, but and as Kym eloquently pens, “Each wine in this new range is entirely true to the character of that site yet eminently more approachable in youth. Mirroring the flavour intensity and fruit purity of the grand marque wines, but more plush and with supple lines of soft tannin that invite immediate enjoyment.” I thoroughly enjoyed sampling the collection (my notes are below) and wholeheartedly recommend the wines. There is a marked difference between the ’21 and ’22 Utopos wines versus the new, Common Ground releases. Utopos are charged with layer-upon-layer of concentration and will reward cellaring. These beauties are crafted for the ‘now’ but will age gracefully, as you will see from my cellaring notes. Enjoy Kym’s introduction along with our tasting notes. Cheers, PS: We plan to ship limited stocks however, and given the sheer quality, the prices will rise considerably upon arrival, and rightly so… A trio of new wines that will make as much impact as the day we first released the 2017 / 2018 Utopos wines. These offer unrivaled value and are launched when the world desperately requires quality without parting with too many bucks… Kym introduces the new  “The Utopos vineyard on Roennfeldt Road on the Barossa Valley’s western edge is to my mind an almost impossibly perfect place to craft red wines. Wines of a character that defines this region as one of the world’s great wine places. Deeply coloured and rich in flavour with firm lines of fine tannin that promise reward for patient cellaring over a decade or more. Located at one of the highest points in the Barossa Valley, the vineyard traverses an undulating landscape of thinly veiled sandy loam topsoils intersected by an assortment of ancient iron, quartz, marble and blue stone. Fractious sub surface clays capture winter rains to sustain vine health through the long, warm and dry summer. Subtle changes of elevation promote gentle afternoon breezes that snake through the canopies cooling the crop to lengthen ripening and promote retention of natural acids. A viticultural eco-system that produces low yields of small flavour packed berries and wines of great flavour purity. My approach to making each wine under the Utopos label is uncompromising in the extreme. An ethos inspired by the great single vineyard wines of our times. Reliant only on selections of the very best fruit from the vineyard. Handled in small batches in the winery and subject to ongoing classifications through the near 2-year barrel maturation program. And then again just prior to bottling a final selection of only those wines to be reserved for limited bottlings that truly represent the ultimate expression of site and variety. This new wine project, named Common Ground, is an extremely fortunate consequence of my pursuit of excellence for the Utopos wines. Each wine in this new range is entirely true to the character of that site yet eminently more approachable in youth. Mirroring the flavour intensity and fruit purity of the grand marque wines, but more plush and with supple lines of soft tannin that invite immediate enjoyment. A more gentle oak regime of seasoned 3rd and 4th use barrels for between 12 and 18 months presents wines with a higher fruit drive and softer tannin profile. Unbridled by the strict covenants imposed on the single site Utopos wines, I can choose to work with fruit from other vineyard sites in the region that share similar characteristics to that of Utopos when we don’t grow enough of our own fruit to supply both endeavours. This helps with promoting the bright pure flavours and plush palate profile I’m pursuing with these wines. Hence the name. Common Ground. Fruit will only be sourced from sites that share ground that is common to our own.” The wines All wines are available as 3x75cl cases. (minumum purchase per varietal) Duty paid for home delivery. We can provide cases of 12x75cl for under bond storage/transfer, etc. Please contact the team directly if you prefer to purchase in this way. To qualify for free delivery: • Orders for Common Ground wines will be combined with your • Standalone Common Ground orders exceeding £100 Shipping / Delivery dates: We plan to ship June / July with an ETA into the UK of September / October 2024. As ever, we will provide firmer dates closer to the time… “This really gets my juices flowing... Here, Kym presents a wine that (at this price level) has no equal. I am left astounded…”  Common Ground by Utopos Shiraz 2021 Stuart McCloskey "I could sniff for a living and often find as much (sometimes more) pleasure in a wines bouquet than I do by tasting the liquid. I would love to see this in a blind tasting. Better still, presented with an RRP of circa £35+ per bottle and watch the professional nods of approval. The aromatics are bottomless and super sophisticated – it’s like diving into a blackhole of sea kelp, saline, wonderfully ‘marine’ which gets me very excited. Equally, I love the charcoal, the spice, the black and blue fruits, the lift from dried orange zest, the spice and rosehip syrup. The palate is flooded with ripe black and blue fruits – there’s sweetness, but that’s down to the quality of the fruit rather than being overdone / forced. This is very dense, chewable, bloody and alive with freshness. I love the grip, too… And who doesn’t love blood orange effervescence – this really gets my juices flowing. We live in a world of inflation versus a dip in quality. Here, Kym presents a wine that (at this price level) has no equal (again!). I am left astounded… Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Decant for 1-2 hours. Drink now to 2030+ but I suggest you enjoy the youth and exuberance sooner rather than later. A killer of a wine!" Kym Teusner “An exceptionally bright and truly pretty wine on the nose with lovely bright creamy sweet red fruits framed with long tannin lines on the palate. Matured for 18 months in seasoned French oak hogsheads. Flavour intensity is a given when you’re making wine from these grounds. To attempt to restrain what nature delivers effortlessly is ultimately a futile exercise. I want to celebrate what makes Barossa Valley Shiraz truly remarkable, but I want to do so in a manner that promotes purity of fruit expression rather than simply dialling up the palate volume to 11. Nary a hint or suggestion of being overripe, this is truly an uplifting wine of exceptional deliciousness as you’d expect from the region and the variety.” £55.50 per 3x75cl case Includes UK duty and VAT “Gosh, this is so delicious. This has shape, form and, despite the price, is a wine of high quality.”  Common Ground by Utopos Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Stuart McCloskey “Simply, delectable from the get-go… The bouquet provides bountiful scents of ripe blackberry, cassis, mulberry, fresh cedar, lead pencil, ink, sweet, red pepper, with fresh thyme. The palate is unquestionably voluptuous and provides immediate satisfaction. Despite its immediate approachability (which is entirely the point of Common Grounds), the fruit quality is clearly evident as is the winemaking. Mouthwatering acidity wrap around the dark, juicy fruits – the tannins are silky and wonderfully fine. Gosh, this is so delicious. This has shape, form and, despite the price, is a wine of high quality. Enjoy the beautiful and immensely enjoyable ride. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drink now to 2030.” Kym Teusner “This wouldn’t be the first time you’ve heard me promote the virtues and qualities of Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Grown on the right country, the Barossa is capable of presenting exceptional Cabernet wines. A single sip of the remarkable and rare Penfolds Block 42 Cabernet will put any counter argument to bed instantly. Our Utopos site shares much in common with the pick of the region’s best single vineyard Cabernet wines. Elevation is king to promote varietal typicity. The rockier lower yielding geological profile of the site critical to flavour intensity. A long ripening season of warm days and cool nights fundamental to the generosity and purity of varietal expression that sets this region above most. The 2021 wine displays great varietal characters of eucalypt and red pepper on the nose. On the palate there is plentiful cassis and sweet black fruits balanced by gentle tannin and acidity that delivers the drinkability factor I’m pursuing for these wines.” £55.50 per 3x75cl case Includes UK duty and VAT “Wonderfully fresh and immensely satisfying. Just, very, very sexy, and wonderfully moreish… Heroic stuff (given the price).”  Common Ground by Utopos Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2021 Stuart McCloskey "This took me by surprise – I wasn’t expecting such concentration and wallop (no offence, Kym). The bouquet is fabulously deep, uber-spicy and filled with ripe raspberry, kirsch, blueberry compote, licorice, white pepper and warm earth – lots of vim and vigour. This really gallops out of the glass. The palate borders medium-to-full-bodied and doesn’t hold back either. The fruit is flamboyant and laced with sweet spice. She feels generous, modern, ripe and lavish. The tannins are fine-grained, and the acidity is pitch perfect. Wonderfully fresh and immensely satisfying. Just, very, very sexy, and wonderfully moreish… Heroic stuff (given the price). Stop with the superlatives, McCloskey and end now! Drink now (decant for an hour or two) and through to 2030… Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware." Kym Teusner “A blend of Grenache (43%), Shiraz (32%) and Mataro (25%) matured for 18 months in seasoned French hogsheads. The right approach to maturation for wines that aim to deliver purity of vineyard and varietal expression. This is a rich and voluptuous wine with the requisite structure and freshness that inhibits any risk of presenting as over ripe or jammy. There is great fruit weight complexed by nice savoury spice elements and long lines of fine tannin. The mid palate is creamy, rich and satisfying – meeting the brief for immediate drinkability whilst not compromising the cellaring potential of these wines.” £55.50 per 3x75cl case Includes UK duty and VAT   Our special pre-arrival offer for the new 2022 Utopos collection ends Monday 13 May at 9.00am Set aside your Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon prejudices as she is truly glorious. The story begins here...a wine as unique in its inception as it is now. An extreme expression of the Margaret River white blend. A narrative of place and style, a wine of distinction and raw individuality grounded by complexity and ageability like no other. One of the world's very best examples and Platinum Medal winner at the 2018, 2019 and 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.  Stuart McCloskey "This is a powerful example of Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon which shows considerable promise from the start, and I must add, is a longtime favourite of mine. The bouquet delivers grapefruit, nectarine, pea-pod, lime, jasmine, sea-spray and struck match. The palate is suave and elegant. Chiselled and focussed, merging texture and tension perfectly. Yes, it’s young however, this is a wine of magnificent power, which will only broaden with more time. Lovely gloss to the palate feel, too. I am also rather smitten by its gin and tonic yin and yang – you’ll understand my reference. As ever, and after sampling 17-years of Bordeaux white wines, this is heading towards another cracking release. In fact, there is no better wine / assemblage coming out of Australia – it’s that good. I urge you to set aside your Sauvignon Blanc / Sémillon prejudices as she is truly glorious. Decanting is recommended (30-minutes will do) and I suggest serving in either Zalto’s Universal glass or to aid aeration, the Burgundy stem. Drink now to 2035… £29.95 per bottle Or buy 6 bottles for £161.73 Only 29 bottles remain |
