   I come from a hardworking family – from the age of eleven, I rose before 5:00am, ran two paper rounds (circa 8-miles), returned home for a bowl of Weetabix layered with a glacial depth of crunchy sugar, before heading a few miles down the road to put out all the toys at my mother’s playgroup. All-in-all, I would cover over eleven miles before I entered the gates of my school. I played schoolboy football for West Ham (midweek training followed by a Saturday match) along with two teams on a Sunday. Morning football with the local, adult Sunday league, a home of hard knocks and leg breaking tackles, regardless of your age. Most limped off the pitch whilst I was preparing for my afternoon match for my age group, which I loved. Out of season, I would work each Saturday at the local pub as pot wash and plate runner. I grew-up quickly and was financially self-sufficient from the start of my teens. It's hard for me to accept a trend. As soon as one's out, everyone picks it up. We’re all starting to look rather similar. We’ve certainly lost 'staying true to oneself.' I admit, I was a little bugger at school. Blooming hard work really didn’t justify the effort it took to control and guide me. Toeing the school line was not part of my education, which I say without any superiority. Far from it. I would not wear the school’s red tie. Instead, I wore a green one. I was never challenged as I imagine teachers preferred to avoid any trouble. I was a huge Def Leppard fan and wore one of my many tour t-shirts under my school shirt. My hair was long – shoulder length, naturally curly, and dripping in wet look gel. I must have looked a complete prat, but no one had the confidence to suggest a change of fashion. Thankfully, I have grown out of my wet look gel however, my resistance to ‘trends’ remains as strong as ever. Equally, I cannot abide the terms ‘disrupting the market’ or ‘we’re bringing something new to the market.’ What tosh as most talk-the-talk and most follow trends from a decade or so ago… Last week, I read an article published by one of the trade's leading and most enjoyable publications. A new company has sprouted with the focus on and to quote, “championing the best Aussie wines in the UK.” Firstly, I wish them all the very best and I hope they flourish in a difficult market. However, either they are seriously out of touch, or I have just returned to the nineties in my DeLorean as the following is drivel, misplaced and most importantly, woefully archaic, “Australia was also very synonymous with big, bold and full of attitude, high percentage alcoholic wines. Those exuberant spicy Shiraz red wines that epitomised the phrase full bodied, the Chardonnays that were arguably over oaked and brash (although I was partial to at least one or two),” as is, “Yet there is a changing of the guard. In truth, there has been for some time but only now is it being showcased further to wider audiences outside of those in the know. Australian wines are far from one dimensional.” This is lazy and terribly sloppy as it lacks accuracy. For goodness sake, back it up with substance and not hollow words as you are doing Australian wines a disservice. ‘Changing of the guard’ my armpit. Where the bloody hell have you all been during the past 6-8 years? Let’s tackle the shorter of my two gripes… At The Vinorium’s height – we directly imported wines from 50-Aussie producers. We offered the largest collection of Australian wines in the whole of Europe. The breadth and depth being unrivalled. We challenged our collective palates as we introduced the majority of producers and their distinct styles, to the UK for the very first time, Who remembers the great wines from Josh Cooper? Cool climate styles from the Macedon Ranges and across Central and Western Victoria. Stylistically, unique as were the wines from Vinden Estate and the eclectic, stunning selection from Eastern Peake (Ballarat). Cool climate baby – hands off, driven by viticulture, love and wines that speak honestly of their surroundings. From Tasmania - Dr Edge who’s as much of a character as ‘moi’ along with the more tempered, but highly individual wines from Nick Glaezter-Dixon… Pooley, Ghost Rock, Mewstone, Sailor Seeks Horse, Grey Sands and Domaine Simha to name a few. Point out one wine that fits in with their stupid summary… I could provide a list of 400-wines that have come and gone, but I will save that for my book!  The Vinorium came to our lives during 2013. From the outset, we predominantly focused on the wines from Australia, New Zealand and the USA with a light dusting from Europe. Within a few years, Australia became our everything with the lightest flurry from around the world. In those years we have sold £20 million and in excess of 750,000 bottles of Aussie wine. Accordingly, I believe we know our market and we are certainly the most qualified to respond with ‘you’re talking absolute bollocks.’ Of course, we do not follow trends. In fact, we (I say ‘we’ but and in fairness to my team, I take the blame, as I call all the wine shots) are outspoken in terms of fashionable Aussie styles that often resemble what comes out of my tap rather than from the land, the vines, and grapes… Do I want to pay thirty-to-fifty-quid for a wine that arrives with excruciating acidity and the texture of nondescript liquid? Overly buttered Chardonnays are something I sampled on a trip in my DeLorean. In fact, we have gone to the complete opposite with far too many characterless and flavourless wines which offer all the personality of someone who is dead. Just because a wine critic likes this soulless style – does it really give licence for the majority to follow suit? If so, it’s terribly sad, and I plead you to change your job and start filtering water for a living as your wines are predictable and boring as hell. Do I like wines that are OTT? I cannot abide them, but give me something to enjoy, please… Do I drink Shiraz? Given my staunch defence of Australia and their respective styles, you would think I brushed my teeth with it. As previously professed, I drink very few bottles of Shiraz throughout the year. I do sample enormous amounts (most varietals, in fact) and experience the good, the very good, the bad and the damn right ugly. Why am I so incensed? I am not angry – merely passionately defending many of our customers’ palates and great wines made by great winemakers. Let’s look back at the quote, “big, bold and full of attitude, high percentage alcoholic wines. Those exuberant spicy Shiraz red wines that epitomised the phrase full bodied.” High percentage alcoholic wines: Climate and location, location, location my dears, are the overriding factors regarding achieved levels of alcohol. Macedon Ranges Shiraz can struggle to reach 12 percent whereas Barossa bounds forward with ease at 14 to 15.5 percent. Does a wine with 14-to-15 percent alcohol translate to something undesirable? Wake-up and understand climate, geography and customers…  Big, bold and full of attitude: I love attitude and personality. I want a wine to give me a sense of place, a reflection of the year that was, I want to feel its soul and I want to feel the skill of the winemaker. I do not want to consume a wine with a ‘dampened down’ personality just because the current trends tell you, you should… ‘Big, bold and full bodied’ can be beautiful in the hands of the right artist – Standish being a case in point. All 2022s are 14.9%, extravagant, assertive on the one hand, yet and on the other, provide a tapestry of sheer exquisiteness – the handling of the fruit, the acid, tannins, and the maturation vessels is a masterclass. Sure, they do not suit everyone, but if you want to work in this great industry, understand what the heck you are talking about… Conversely, and to provide counterbalance, we listed a producer who produced exactly those wines. We took the agency over from an importer who went into administration, which made for an easy transition. I have never placed a tasting note next to any of them as I hated them all. They physically made me shudder. I found the winemaking ugly and the style overly extracted. But, they sold and sold well… We delisted the producer as this style is not ‘true’ to my wine buying nor does it give me any inspiration to get up in the morning. Commerciality plays the pivotal role and supersedes the wine buyers’ aspirations. Put simply, if the wine doesn’t sell or requires substantial discounting to get it out of the door, then, and certainly at The Vinorium, it’s game over. We have either failed or our palates do not align. You take the rough with the smooth and learn from the lessons. Does it put me off introducing similar styles? Absolutely not, as this is my world and has been for almost 25-years. I am here to share my passion and to teach, I hope to provide you with years of wonderful drinking ahead. I will never follow trends, I will never judge you, and I will never serve you wine just because some plonker on Instagram believes it’s the ‘next, new thing.’ This neatly brings me onto sharing some exciting, textural news however, I have been told to save that until next week as I’ve written enough this week! I consider myself told-off and will sign off. Wishing you all a fabulous weekend. Cheers, A warm welcome back to one of our fastest selling Chardonnays, second only to Eileen Hardy 2015...  About Fire Gully We have gained many new customers since the previous launch and feel a little background is necessary. Essentially, the wine is made by the super-talented Pierro team almost entirely to satisfy their own quenchable needs. Quite understandable when you try it for yourself… Wilyabrup is the special location which produces some of Australia’s most sublime wines, further adding to the excitement and more importantly accentuates the superb value. The wine is delicately made with all bunches being hand-picked. The fruit is gently cold pressed and placed into mature French oak for 10 months to provide added complexity. Pierro’s elegant hallmark is written all over this wine. "The first thing that hits you is how bloody delicious this Chardonnay is... Built for pure pleasure and with bountiful lip-smacking enjoyment in mind."  Fire Gully Chardonnay 2023 Stuart McCloskey "The first thing that hits you is how bloody delicious this Chardonnay is. This wine centres around three characteristics. Outright flavour, texture and unequivocal enjoyment, which is rare for such a young wine. The bouquet provides scents of confit lemon, lemon sherbet, fresh pear and apple, lemon oil, wafts of salinity and chalky minerality. There’s a lovely creamy texture which wraps the fruit wonderfully. Broad shoulders for such a youngster – pleasure-seeking fans should take advantage as this over-delivers (as has every vintage we’ve offered). This is built for pure pleasure and with bountiful lip-smacking enjoyment in mind. Citrus and orchard fruits wrapped in quartz minerality overlayed with confit lemon. This is not an ‘acidic’ wine – far from it. The Vinorium team are all cooing. Simply, delicious and an absolute belter. Highly recommended. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink now – drink it all as it’s so, so, good…" £22.95 per bottle SOLD OUT  Many long time favourites are now down to the last handful of bottles. Some will be leaving our shelves for the very last time and others won't be back for over a year. Our 2018 allocation was small and sold-out whilst sitting in Kym’s cellars (ETA October ’24) The in-stock 2017 is down to 39-bottles and best purchased sooner rather than later… Then, it’s the very long wait until we see the new, 2019 in the Autumn of 2025.  Utopos Sparkling Shiraz 2017 5 Star Customer Reviews "When I first drunk a bottle of this, I felt it was dark, broody and impenetrable. However, giving it a little time to develop in the glass, I have to say it opened up to a really interesting wine. I plan on laying the rest of the botttles down and drinking them in a few years when they will, I hope, evolve into something very special." £34.95 per bottle Last 39 bottles Elderton’s flagship Command Shiraz is coming to an end… There's also a handful of bottles remaining and then you can find the new release (2020) for £65.00 from UK indies. Whilst we’re at it – Elderton’s Neil Ashmead Grand Tourer Shiraz 2018 is down to 24-bottles. Elderton Ode to Lorraine 2018 is more bountiful. Huge discounts as we delisted the producer last year.  Elderton Command Shiraz 2017 Was £49.95 per bottle Last 12 bottles SOLD OUT Since 2017 we have sold almost 2,500 bottles from long time favourite, Soumah. All that now remains are the final 23 bottles of the delicious 2019 Equilibrio Chardonnay...  Soumah Equilibrio Chardonnay 2019 97+ - 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Buttered popcorn vies with flinty characters, which effortlessly slip to white toast, yeasty bread, cashew, nutty nougat and camomile. There’s a sense of savouriness over fruit, save for the confit lemon and pear. The palate is glossy, bordering viscous without any sense of heaviness. Complex and in a fascinating savoury style. Lemon buttered toast, nutty (creamed cashew), camomile, baked apple and crème pat? Floral – really, quite extraordinary. The length is mindbogglingly long, spicy and goes on for minute after minute. This is an ambitious creation and very different to many Aussie Chardonnays. Utterly captivating. Acidity is delivered thoughtfully along with a sense and feel of salinity. This is a marvellous expression of Australian Chardonnay. Unique without trying to be. Sculpted without effort. Precise without being measly. Mesmerising, it’s as simple as that. Decant for 30 minutes and do not overchill. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink now to 2030 and possibly beyond.” 5 Star Customer Review "Bought 2 bottles and tried them in an Australian tasting of 5 different well-thought-of chardonnays ( and 8 red wines) at home with 16 friends. For the chardonnay wines, the Soumah were the clear winners. So I bought more." £36.50 per bottle Last 23 bottles  The Killibinbin wines are a new, mature addition to our collection and we've been hugely impressed with the quality. The 2012 Museum Cabernet sold out in a couple of hours and we are working to secure some additional stock from Australia. In the meantime only 25 bottles of their Scream Shiraz remain in stock.  Killibinbin Scream Shiraz 2013 Stuart McCloskey "I suggest a few hours in a decanter or at least an hour in your glass prior to tucking in. The wine opens to an unmistakable scent of warmed oyster shell, old saddle leather, plum, coffee bean, caramel, truffle, dried herbs, mushroom, smoked meat, soy and vanilla. Very Shiraz and very Northern Rhône. The palate is, and I hate to use the term, addictively quaffable. The texture is sumptuous and creamy. The fruit is sweet, deep and plummy. Time has provided a zip and zap from blood orange which offers a little sprite. Flavour wise? Smoked nuts, Asian spices, leather, spiced charcuterie, juniper, along with damson / plum. Fragrant, ripe, and outright delicious. Drink now to 2028 but enjoy your purchase this summer (it’s not going to get better!). Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.” £23.95 per bottle SOLD OUT Only 11 bottles remain... There are also 14 bottles of the 2018 for under £20.00 a bottle... Killibinbin Scream Shiraz 2018 £19.95 per bottle  The huge score with the shortest tasting note… 99 points – James Halliday "Perfect example of modern Barossa shiraz: fragrant, silky and elegant. Fresh plums, boysenberry and spice, with a meaty complexity." Versus - No score, but a tasting note befitting the wine's sheer class and quality… Stuart McCloskey "Here we have an exceptionally generous, explosive bouquet that draws you in and keeps you hooked. What a beauty from the get-go. This is packed with blueberry, boysenberry jam, raspberry, liquorice, warm ginger biscuit, clove, fresh vanilla pod, a dusting of cinnamon, iron filings, lilac and freshness from orange zest – I am reminded of a complex Vermouth Rosso. Black olive tapenade, coffee and ozone with more aeration. Wonderfully addictive to those who enjoy sniffing as much as sipping. Olfactory overload – in the very best way… The palate is darn right delicious – you can’t help being smitten from the first pour. So satisfying, silky, seductive, slips and slides with consummate ease – shapely and wonderfully curvy. This reminds me of a fresher and lighter Schubert Theorem. The fruit component is drenched in sweetness and strikes right to the core. The tannins melt into the abyss. Wild blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles in abundance. I must remind myself this comes from the Barossa as there’s a cool-climate feel despite the exuberant fruit. Executed with finesse – nature took the lead, and sings of its vintage. More immediately appealing than Utopos and it’s easy to understand why Mr Halliday awarded 99-points. A stunning wine that provides so much pleasure straight from the bottle. Decanted for a few hours and served using Zalto Burgundy glassware (I wanted to hold the bouquet in). Perfectly drinkable today and will cellar for at least 10-15 years."  SOLD OUT Bob Andrews - Vinorium Customer  “I visited Kym Teusner last September and sampled the Albert along with his spectacular array of Utopos wines. I just received my Albert stock last week from the Vinorium and couldn't resist opening one straight away. The 2021 Albert is absolutely amazing! The deep red/purple colour hits you first as it is decanted followed by a bouquet of berries. The first taste is light, silky smooth with no aftertaste or tannins. For a young wine, it already has incredible depth and is delightful on the palate. I hope I am able to keep my stock for several years to see how it progresses but that might be very difficult. This could be the best shiraz I have ever had so for me, 100/100! Thank you Stu for being able to get this wonderful wine over to the UK” |
