New Arrivals

Best Sauvignon Blanc at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards

James Halliday "A selection of the highest quality fruit, fermented in two barriques. Upon completion, the wine remained on lees for a further 15 months with a bit of batonnage to imbue textural complexity. More reticent aromatically than the standard cuvee, the future lies tucked in between the baby fat of piercing fruit intensity and the sheer tenacity of flavour. This deserves a place among the country's few seriously fine examples - it will unravel beautifully with patience."

Top Rated Chardonnay at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards

98 Points - James Halliday "A low yielding crop from the estate's home vineyard was fermented in equal parts new and used barriques, with full mlf, before a further 18 months of ageing in the same vessels, imparting a key lime zing to the aroma and a finely tuned meld of match strike flint. Lemon curd, white peach and grapefruit pulp purr along finely tuned mineral cylinders. This is exceptional, with winemaking a point. A challenge to differentiate between top white Burgundy and the stamp of a regional superstar!"

Top Rated Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards

97 Points - James Halliday "Open-fermented, plunged three times daily, before 17 days on skins, 3 years in barrel plus another 15 months of settling prior to dispatch, the result is a lustrous cabernet. Crushed herb melds effortlessly with cassis, violet, gummy bear pastille, black olive and a swab of bay leaf tannins. There is so much glycerol, that it is already a nice drink. Perfumed and inviting. However, my suggestion is to test your patience, cellaring it for 8 years onwards."

96 Points - James Halliday "From a dry-grown vineyard in Wilyabrup planted in the ‘70s, hand-picked, open-fermented, 18 days on skins, matured in French barriques for 3 years with a further 15 months in bottle before release. Stuart Pym makes light work of what is a complex exercise, and a patient one at that given the time in oak and thereafter in bottle. It has a texture and structure all of its own, verging on velvety, yet reminding me that the cassis, black olive and dried bay leaf could only come from cabernet."

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “Cherry, blackcurrant, spice, meaty too, some mint and perfume. Fleshy and full of slightly sour cherry and blackcurrant flavour, a cool feel, tannin thick through the middle, and some amaro flavours on the finish. Excellent wine.”

Full tasting note for this fabulous Pinot Noir to follow...

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “It greets drinkers with that mix of sour-sweet cherry fragrance wafting through sweet earth, undergrowth, brambly-hedgerow kind of scents. The palate has a suppleness and that general sense of ‘dryness’, a powdery web of fine tannin draped on succulent sour-sweet cherry flavours, licks of nutty-savouriness and a quick suck on a ham bone gamey quality. The length is epic, a gentle staining that lasts with little stony-minerally chomps in the palate. It has that more open weave feel to it than so many polished and preened Australian pinot noirs, and better for it. Compelling wine.”

Tasting note coming soon...

Campbell Mattison, Wine Companion “Carbon copy of the excellent '15 release. Dark cherry-berry flavours, inlays of woodsy spices, mint and wood smoke as highlights. It's fresh, fleshy, pumped with fruit but more than a little savoury. It finishes firm and strong; it's in top form.”

98++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Unfolding in the glass with wonderful aromas of sweet, buttered pastry, citrus oil, vanilla bean, sesame and saline.. The texture is incredible, lavish and coats every facet. The sheer depth for such a young Chardonnay is quite astonishing and will be at its peak in 3-4 years. A characteristic of warm bread with a creamy nuttiness is super-attractive as is the indescribable textural sensation. Satiny smooth certainly describes aspects but the sheer completeness is a tougher task. This is far from blousy – femininity and precision being the optimum characteristics. The acidity is clear and helps balance that textural element. One of the best ‘young’ Aussie Chardonnays I have sampled in a very long time. Almost speechless, therefore I should shut up. Served in Zalto Bordeaux glassware (Do not overchill – circa 11 degrees will be perfect).”

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “Stonefruit, hazelnut and nougat, mint, cinnamon and flowers. It’s smooth and gently creamy with a subtle Jersey caramel richness, brine and milky flavour, fine powdery texture, touch of apple kombucha tang, poise and balance, and a dry finish of excellent length and persistence. Complex. Suave. Delightful to drink.”

Campbell Mattinson, Wine Companion - “A wild beast of a wine with smoke, rubber, spice, florals and forest berry flavours running rampant, though there is a healthy churn of tannin here too. There's nothing straight-laced about this… love it.”

Exclusive to The Vinorium

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “This is an impressive wine, from an impressive producer. This pinot noir is blessed as much with confidence as it is with length, its sour-smoky fruits littered with sweet herb and orange rind notes, a whisper of reduction not hurting matters at all. A dry, structural, fruit-pulsed finish makes for a beautiful exit. Quality and value are both on offer here.”

Mike Bennie, Winefront.com ''Always expect savoury, interesting chardonnay wines from Cobaw Ridge. Here's another. Loading in grape flavour and its full potential. It's a big chardonnay but not weighty, nor creamy, nor buttery and toasty. There's just lots of things going on. It smells of honeycomb, cashews, green apple, faint sea spray, the palate with similar flavours, really juicy but with a core of minerally-saline acidity and finishes with a light fino-meets-green-apple edginess. It's complex as chardonnay gets, alluring and compelling as a drink. It's Fantastic. ''

James Halliday "Fruit from Greenock and Stone Well, 100% whole-berry fermented, aged on lees in older oak for 15 months. There's a smoothness about this wine which will win friends easily - it just slips down. Aromas and flavours are in the typically dark-fruited Barossa spectrum, and whilst not overly ripe there is a sense of sweetness on the palate. The tannin quietly plays its part."

97 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked in two parcels from the original ancient vine plantings (1857), fermented and aged on skins in a ceramic egg until Oct '17. The second parcel was 100% whole-bunch fermented and matured in used puncheons. You might guess a $100+ price. This is a really attractive varietally pure wine, with very good colour and structure."

97-98 Points Stuart McCloskey “Fascinating notes which flit from confit lemon, poached ripe pear, apple, crushed rocks to pastry cream and almond croissant. The palate is tightly coiled, tense and comes alive with yuzu, lemon & lime – a bright streak of acidity runs through the core. This is a wonderful example of a wine which is all about purity and precision rather than leanness which we are seeing far too often. This will shatter the perception of Aussie Chardonnay and will leave no room for argument about its stunning quality. Today, a wine for those seeking unforgettable purity. Epic and will remain so for at least a decade… Ensure you do not serve too cold and decant for 20/30 minutes… Served using Zalto’s Bordeaux glassware, an essential to appreciate great Chardonnay.”

 Alan Cooper, Founder & Vigneron “Very much typical of our Syrah from a cooler year, aromatic on the nose, savoury spice and a fine dusting of black pepper to finish. The essence of granite. Focussed and expressive of our amazing terroir. The classic iron fist in a velvet glove. Huge latent power and structure to burn. This wine will reward you even more with age!”

Gourmet Traveller Wine 'Best buy wines over $30'  "It’s really hard not to think of the great syrahs of the northern Rhône (St-Joseph, Hermitage) when tasting this exceptional, nervy, peppery, thrillingly dark-fruited syrah. And even harder to ignore what great value it is in comparison to them."

95 Points - James Halliday "Fruit from these 70+-yo old vines has produced - or contributed to - some fine Eden Valley rieslings over the years, in different guises. This release is in the classic mould, alive with all manner of citrus; zest and juice, blossom and curd. Floral and mineral notes are in the mix as well, with the sweet fruit and tang of acidity running long on the palate."

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Smoky notes, dried green herbs, black berries on brambles, game meat notes. Great start. Savoury sense. Fleshy texture, sweet-ripe but fresh fruit flavours, supple through its long flow then tightens on a web of surprising, grippy-graphite tannins. Serious pinot noir here. Tightly wound. Intense. Long-lived."

Gourmet Traveller Wine 'Best buy wines to cellar' - "Cobaw Ridge produces scintillating wines in which charisma is never lacking. This pinot noir asserts many things from the glass, with wild-edged herbal, spicy, pickled cherry scents and a palate that spreads luxuriously with brambly, blackberry flavours. So much going on, so unique. It’s fun to approach, but will be all autumn scents and flavours with 5-10 years of maturity."

 Vinorium Award - 2019 Red Wine of the Year: Gold

98+ Points Stuart McCloskey “Unquestionably, a magnificent Australian Syrah and unlike anything I have sampled before, which is saying something. In a nutshell, there isn’t much I can add and the reason why I declare the 2017 The Springs Syrah my Wine of The Year (2019). The nose offers a beguiling mix of olive tapenade, marine salinity / brine, dark red fruits, redcurrant, cranberry, flowers and more akin to a Pinot Noir than Syrah. The palate is focused and washed with redcurrant, cranberry, sweet pomegranate, glimpses of dried blood orange and finishes with the same salinity which is fabulous. The tannins provide a wonderful lattice of support as does the bristling acidity (or is that the tart cranberry and redcurrant?). Certainly, one of the purest and most natural Aussie Syrahs I have ever come across - It’s truly mesmerising. The finish and length go on forever. Exquisite – truly so… Decanted for 2 hours and served using Zalto’s Bordeaux glassware (I'm intrigued to try it in the Burgundy glass).”

96 Points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "Yes thanks. Fragrant white of lemon juice, vanilla, green apple, floral things and a faint whiff of nougat. Focused and tight in the palate, racy almost but for the drizzle of saline minerality and a pretty, flavoursome finish. Serious feeling in a leaner spectrum but not without flavour and detail. Killer wine – does everything so righteously."

96+/98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “An electric bouquet of lemon oil, intense citrus, liquid minerals, chalk and faint wafts of nougat. The palate is an intense experience as it fights between grace, citrus power and an impressive line of acidity. Thrilling, tense, nervy and must be decanted for 20-30 minutes. I detect a little sherbet, more citrus fruits, sea salt, very saline with flavours fanning out with more time in the glass. This is a direct and precise wine but there’s a charming sense of harmony and poise towards the finish. Fabulous and I am intrigued to see how this develops over the coming years. Perhaps the most fascinating Aussie Chardonnay of 2019?”.

Hand harvested in the cool of morning, with careful sorting in the vineyard. The grapes are partially foot crushed followed by a very gentle, slow pressing over five hours. The wine enjoys one year in oak on full lees, no stirring, and no racking, prior to being transferred to stainless steel with all the fine lees for a further 6 months elevage. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a very small dose of sulphur the week before bottling.

James Halliday "A field blend from a vineyard planted in 1858. Wild yeast, whole bunches included, aged in neutral French oak for 15 months. The ancient vines have produced a wine of great finesse. Cherry-like aromas and flavours with a seasoning of Mediterranean herbs and a faintly smoky note. Silky and seamless on the palate with finely tuned tannin, it's all impeccably balanced."

The surly muse reflects the technique of ageing 'surlie' (on lees) for an extended period, giving palate texture and phenolics. Combing the rich texture of Marsanne with the heady aromatics of Viognier gives a white blend with incredible texture, intensity and simply superb mouthfeel. Rich gold in colour with bright straw coloured highlights. The nose displays aromas of apricots, honeysuckle, wild fennel and grapefruit. The palate is rich but balanced, with succulent tropical flavours that are matched with fresh acidity, a broad texture and a taught band of minerality. Given the searing quality here, this is simply a steal…

Exclusive to The Vinorium

James Halliday "Texture and structure are the key elements of this wine, part from acidity, part from fermentation with the inclusion of some solids. Citrus, apple and pear are all contributors to a wine that speaks of its Tasmanian origins."

Max Allen, Gourmet Traveller “Lurking among the delicacy and freshness is also the most extraordinary, intense flavour of mandarin marmalade. Powerful and racy, I’d say. Just gorgeous.”

While working in the Pfalz wine region of Germany, Nick was converted to the local method of selecting the harvest date of riesling grapes based on their acid content and structure ‒ rather than the traditional Australian manner of harvesting on sugar concentration and grape flavour. These grapes then ferment into riesling wines with delicate citrus flavours and aromas, compared to the tropical spectrum of a riper harvest. The mid-palate structure of GDF riesling is invigorated by sur lie ageing, which involves keeping the finished wine on ferment lees for 6-8 months. Delicate lime zest, floral aromas and aniseed fill the glass. Further citrus flavours develop on the fresh mineral structure, enhanced by the juicy acid finish.

Exclusive to The Vinorium

17 Points - Jancis Robinson "Very northern Rhône nose – pepper, game and floral notes. Loads of peppery spice and quite a ripe juicy palate but with a distinct herbal edge. What a lovely half-way house between Old and New World. (AC) Drink 2019 – 2025"

Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front) “The legend that is Glaetzer Dixon Mon Pere Shiraz. Drinking it is like rummaging around a forest floor, the wine’s juicy acidity, satiny texture and choc-nut notes providing all the light/shade/life/interest you could hope for. ”

Winemakers notes "Elegant red berry, cassis and white pepper aromas mix with integrated raspberry, spice and smoked lardon flavours. Savoury velvet tannins boost the length."

It took us a while to get this one right, when we were first experimenting with Petite Sirah the tannins were so pronounced that tasters actually started howling as it crossed their palate. We later planted other naturally tannic varietals Tannat and Saperavi, softening the tannins so the only howl we hear now is one of enjoyment. Taken from Dadd’s Block on the high side – sandy loam with long sunlight hours and low rainfall. The best of these varieties is selected each year, either on their own or as a blend.

Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) "A very good Chardonnay out of Butcher’s this year. As fit as a butcher’s dog, you might say. Smooth, composed, light in flavour, cool and savoury, white fruit and citrus flecked with exotic spice and aniseed, quartz-y texture, a little lemon rind in the long fresh finish. Texture is a highlight. So very elegant and adult. So nice."

The 2018 vintage had a slightly warmer than average year, this led to the richness that Butcher’s Hill is known for, however there were no heat spikes through the ripening period that allowed slow and even fruit development. The resulting wine is reminiscent of Grand Cru Chablis with a great deal of energy, tension and vitality. Partial malolactic fermentation (around 50%) allows the wine to combine and create complexity throughout the palate and the use of larger oak barrels (one third new) allows the penetration of ripe stone fruit and floral notes through the grapefruit acidity lingering with a long flinty finish.

Exclusive to The Vinorium

The Wine Advocate "Dark, lifted aromas of plums, old-school maraschino cherries and mixed spices. These characters intensify on the supple and fleshy palate, firmed by velvet tannins and a fine, balanced finish."

James Suckling.com “Silky, supple and elegant with an earthy finish. Drink now.”