 Issue #117, June 2020  Perhaps one of Australia’s less recognised wine producers, and a couple that shy away from the wine press. It is a great story and we will take you on their journey from the very beginning… Greg and Allison are the founders of Hobbs of Barossa Ranges, and they have an unusual story to tell. Unlike many of our producers, they were not born into a winemaking family and in the case of Greg, he was teetotal until he met Allison. During my interview with Greg, he affectionately professed “I can honestly say my wife drove me to drink!! When I first met my beautiful wife Allison, I did not drink alcohol…” Greg was a police officer and Allison a nurse. He spoke fondly of their early days; “Both being shift workers, Allison and I would go to a fantastic, small wine bar near our home, usually during the week when it was quiet, and we got to know the owner pretty well. He had a remarkable palate and a great wine cellar and would guide Allison on the different wines to try. He also encouraged me to smell the wines and I slowly started to taste. Then I began to fall in love with wine... and the rest is history.” From suburban life in the city to becoming vignerons It takes a lot of courage to trade safe, well paid careers with a convenient life in the city for the challenges of living off the land, not to mention starting new careers without the prerequisite skills. Many of our Aussie winemakers come from a long line of wine heritage, which and in some cases, date back for generations. Dan Standish for example, is an eighth generation winemaker, Josh Cooper was virtually born amongst the vines at his parents’ Cobaw Ridge vineyard, Liam Anderson worked shoulder to shoulder with his father at Wild Duck Creek before finally taking control, and Nick Glaetzer stems from a vast winemaking family which also stretches back for many generations. In 1995, the plunge was taken, Greg and Allison purchased a vineyard from the Randall Family. At the time, they owned much of the local area known as ‘Randall Town’ which was sub-divided between family members. At the time of purchase, the property had established vines including Shiraz, Semillon, Pedro Ximénez and white Frontignac (The Australian name for a Greek grape variety called Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains). The previous owners planted fruit trees and invested in a large cow herd. Greg explained that the Randall’s sold their grapes and fruit, which enabled the entire family to be self-sufficient, which was something they both looked to achieve for themselves. Inexperience aside, Greg and Allison quickly pulled out the Pedro Ximénez and replanted (all by hand) with more Shiraz. They grafted the white Frontignac to Shiraz and some of the Semillon to Viognier, which now goes into their flagship ‘Tango’ blend and the ‘Tin Lids’ Viognier label. Their vineyard was planted and yielding a healthy annual harvest however, Greg and Allison had not a blooming clue when it came to winemaking. By luck (or perhaps they knew of their neighbour before agreeing to purchase the vineyard), Chris Ringland’s home was circa 400 metres away from Greg and Allison – his vineyard being the only dividing factor. Those of you not in the know - Chris Ringland spent over 15 years at the famed Rockford winery producing many of their renowned wines as their chief winemaker. Whilst at Rockford and given the quality of grapes found at the Hobbs’ vineyard, Chris suggested selling the fruit to Rockford which the Hobbs’ agreed to do as this was the entire point of moving to the Barossa – the land must fund their lives. Greg explained that over time, Chris became good friends and suggested they keep a small portion of the grapes to make a wine for themselves. The Hobbs’ had no intention of selling their single barrel ‘house wine’ even though it was made by one of Australia’s most talented winemakers. Greg recalled that out of the blue, Chris introduced the couple to a US wine buyer who fell in love with their Shiraz. So much so, he offered to buy all of it and all future allocations. Greg informed me that “It was pretty hard to say no and that was the beginning of Hobbs. Chris has been a trusted friend, our mentor since the very beginning, and now acts as the Hobbs consultant.” The influence of a winemaker can often shape the style of a wine. Some say that the best winemakers are more farmers than producers however, and in the case of Chris, his unique style which he honed during his tenure at Rockford was impossible not to be reflected in Greg and Allison’s wines.  “We compete, not against others, but against our own standards, always endeavouring to grow better fruit and to make better wine.” Greg believes that "Chris’s influence will always be a big part of Hobbs wines. His philosophy of nurturing the vineyard to produce the best fruit, minimal intervention to let the fruit do the talking has been an underlying influence in what we do now.” Time moved on and Chris stepped aside to allow Greg and Allison to craft their own skills in the vineyard and winery. The couple took the lead and produced their famous 1905 Shiraz and their Tango (Shiraz / Viognier) at home, but with his guidance… Pete Schell (owner and winemaker at the glorious Spinifex winery) started making wine for the Hobbs from 2005 at his own winery down the hill in Tanunda. Pete concentrated on their Gregor and Tin Lids range however, Greg was quick to point out that “we’re at the winery with Pete every day during the ferments until the wine is pressed into barrels. We bring the wine in barrels back home and manage the maturation phase until bottling.” Greg went on to explain that “over the years we’ve shared ideas and the management of our vineyards through to hands on wine making. Pete Schell is an outstanding winemaker who we have worked with for 15 years. We listen to each other’s views and ideas. He is very easy to get on with and he has an extraordinary palate. I think he has guided us to expanding, broadening our ideas on winemaking particularly in areas such as the blending of different varieties, the length of ferments and the use of oak treatments. Depending on the season and the fruit, he leans to a slightly more European way of making great Australian wine.” I was intrigued to learn more of their ‘European way of making great Australian wine.’ I asked Greg to elaborate further “for us a European wine style is a wine that is slightly less fruit driven, it has less fruit intensity. Pete adopts more of a softer approach during the ferments using gentle hand plunging which allows the subtle complexity of the fruit to shine through rather than be dominant. Depending on how the wine is developing, we also vary the size and style of oak barrels to integrate and enhance the different flavours and characteristics of each wine.” I asked Greg to explain his range in more detail, today’s style, the challenges, and above all, do they find winemaking fun… I re-read through all my notes and came across a poignant sentence which I love and perfectly describes the pair “We compete, not against others, but against our own standards, always endeavouring to grow better fruit and to make better wine.” Hobbs have an ability to craft powerful, concentrated and captivating wines. I asked Greg; was this the style you always loved (passion for Italian Amarone perhaps?) or is it a product of the old vines and the terroir? Greg responds “I think it is a product of the old vines and the terroir. The first big influence was from a Kracher dessert wine. Kracher’s wines show amazing intensity, a perfect balance of acidity and a wonderful elegance. What more could you ask for! We have tried to put those characteristics into our wine. Using the age-old Italian method of drying the grapes before fermenting achieves intensity with layers of flavours whilst retaining the natural acids in the grapes which balances all the elements. I think the main elements we strive for is balance and that silky mouth feel.”  The wine collection in Greg’s eyes…“The key to our wine is our vineyard and our location. One of the 10 great wine regions of the world. Our vineyard is also in the coolest and most elevated part of the Barossa. We receive gully breezes, cooler nights and normally about 100ml of rain or more per year than the valley floor. We practice organic and biodynamic principles for the past 20 years however, we are not certified and have no intention of being so. We believe in feeding and looking after the health of the soil, which in turn looks after the vines and the fruit. A certificate means little to us… The vines are hand pruned as we focus on producing low-yields resulting in wines with more intensity and consistency from vintage to vintage. Despite the intensity of labour, we pick each bunch by hand – again ensuring perfect quality and ripeness. We make wine because we simply want to. We aim to make great wine, not good wine. We make wine for drinking and enjoying, not for wine writers. We make wines that are grown in the vineyard, that can be consumed young or old. Wines that can be enjoyed with food or without. They are not wines to be ignored or forgotten once tasted. We are not concerned with making low alcohol wines or following fashions. We strive to produce balanced wines – nothing more and nothing less.”   ‘Gregor’ ShirazProduced from vines from our own vineyard varying from 30 to around 80 years of age. Grapes are handpicked and placed on racks to air dry. Once the grapes have dried sufficiently to give us the flavour we want, we ferment them and get the juice into French oak. For the ‘Gregor’ we mainly use 500 litre puncheons and 1350 litre vats. This wine is anywhere from 60 to 100% new French oak. A great wine, magnificent with some great parmesan cheese.   Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 201596 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com) "Owner Greg Hobbs jokes that the 2015 Gregor Shiraz is their "big-production wine," because he bottles 500-600 cases annually. The grapes are picked a bit earlier than those for the 1905 Shiraz and then air-dried on racks before being crushed and fermented. Scents of smoke and black pepper emerge on the nose of this fantastically concentrated elixir. It's full-bodied and unabashedly rich, with notes of cracked pepper, chocolate and dark fruit supported by silky tannins and a long finish. It should drink well for a decade or more. £59.95 per bottle    ‘Tango’ Shiraz Viognier"Consistently made using 96% Shiraz and 4% Viognier. A stunning Rhône style wine. Powerful and elegant. Handpicked of course and 2 years in 60 to 100% new French oak. A wine with all the complexity of Shiraz and the floral notes and flavours of Viognier. Until recently we would say these wines would live for 20 years. Now we say to everyone 30 years plus. We are currently drinking some of the wines from 2004. They have great balance and elegance but are still showing great fruit characters. The other thing we say to our customers is that if you want to drink the wines young, do so. With current releases pull the cork a couple of days before drinking. If you can’t plan that far ahead double decant before drinking. They are great wines, they do need to be given a chance to breathe and stretch.”   Hobbs Tango Shiraz Viognier 2017"Shiraz and Viognier, hand picked from Hobbs vineyard and co-fermented with their own naturally occuring yeasts. The Viognier grapes are late picked, left on the vine to intensify their flavour compounds which add to the complexity of the wine. Matured in new French oak for 24 months." £54.50 per bottle Also available In Bond @ £259.10 per case of 6 .png)  "Our children’s plan (now in their 30’s) was to design a label, design packaging, find some fruit, help us make and sell the wines, and of course, enjoy together over dinner. However, the only part of the process they contributed to, was the drinking."  Hobbs Tin Lids
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Success despite not seeking it…
Their success was far from unobserved as Robert Parker.com has repeatedly put Hobbs wines in the limelight. In fact, most vintages receive 96-98 points which is a stunning result and not often replicated.
98 Points “Hobbs's 2016 1905 Shiraz is another compelling release from this tiny winery, which seems to be on an incredible roll. Breathtaking levels of concentration and flavor.”
97+ Points “The 2012 Shiraz Gregor is made from 100% Shiraz in the Amarone style. Profoundly scented of crème de cassis, blackberry pie and blueberry. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-decadent…”
There’s a long list – Check out Robert Parker.com…
At the end of the day, Greg and Allison are great farmers in their own right. They came to the Barossa to live from the land and bring their children up in an organic environment which cannot be found in the city. Family dinners are simple but special nonetheless as Greg recants many occasions, and proudly so as the father of three. “All the kids arrive, and I pour the sparkling red or white, the boys might have beer. The table is laid simply with a big platter filled with pâté, local cheese, meats, olives and crusty breads. The place is full of laughing people and there’s a lot of noise and fun. Food aside, the big decision is what wine to open first – We all take a serious look at the producer, the grape variety and vintage. Over the course of the evening many bottles are opened together with older vintages from our Hobbs cellar being poured too…"
It is worthwhile to mention that Greg and Allison are also one of the founding members of the Artisans of Barossa, a collective group of like-minded winemakers whom we introduced as their exclusive agent last month. They join the same ranks as John Duval, Peter Schell and our very own Craig Stansborough, to name a few. It is great to see how far they have come…
Read our full Artisans of Barossa introduction and their inventive projects…
Artisans of Barossa Barrel Blend Shiraz 2017
50% sold in the past few weeks…
"...utterly delicious and I can see this being a go-to wine for summer suppers"
£17.50 per bottle
£105.00 per case of 6 with FREE delivery (Mainland UK)
94-95 Points Stuart McCloskey "The bouquet is incredibly floral following the initial pour, and then invites you in with a warming hug of blackberry, clove, anise, mint, toast and warmed Barossa earth. The palate is swish, generous, and super-sexy for the money. The sheer length boosts the value. Blue, black, and red berries intermix fabulously with an open and silky texture. Overall, a wine which overdelivers (as it should given the winemakers behind the label) and leaves you with a big sigh of quaffable satisfaction. Ready and waiting but certainly has the quality to age for 5-8 years. Decanted for 2-3 hours and served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”
95 Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Great nose with impressive purity. Flawless fruit (blackcurrant jumps to the forefront) with a touch of ink, wild flowers and vanilla. The palate is again impressive as the flavours gently wrap around the senses with luscious softness. There’s clearly bags of quality fruit in the blend given the overall balance and striking length. Much suppleness and freshness makes the Barrel Blend utterly delicious and I can see this being a go-to wine for summer suppers."
Also available In Bond @ £74.15 per case of 6
Are we witnessing Australia’s new, No:1 wine?
Written by Stuart McCloskey
Australia boasts an impressive ‘collectors’ list with prices matching the very best from around the world. Ancient Seppeltsfield Para Vintage Tawny Port, Penfolds Grange and their special bin releases, Henschke Hill of Grace, Torbreck’s The Laird, Bass Phillip’s Reserve Pinot Noir and Clarendon Hills Astralis are incredibly expensive upon release and are not necessarily worthy. Still highly collectable are tier two wines including Mount Mary’s Quintet, Rockford’s Basket Press Shiraz, Cullen’s Diana Madeline, Leeuwin’s Art Series Chardonnay, Mount Edelstone from Henschke and RunRig to name a few…
The WINEFRONT is Australia’s longest running online-only wine review site and perhaps to everyone’s surprise (unless you are a subscriber), is regarded as Australia’s number-one point of reference for serious wine reviews with Halliday.com playing second fiddle to the writing trio; Campbell Mattinson (founder of WF, former editor of Halliday Magazine and key contributor to the annual best-selling Halliday Wine Companion book), Gary Walsh (Co-publisher for WF) and the exuberant Mike Bennie (A freelance wine and drinks writer and journalist, wine judge and presenter).There are two scorings systems in our industry. 0-20 which is favoured by team Jancis Robinson MW & Matthew Jukes and 0-100 which many adopt, including The Vinorium. In essence, wines which receive 80-89 points are average to good – very good if you find yourself a bargain. 90-95 points indicates a wine to be very good to excellent however, price does come into play as high-value wines are less desirable if they fall into this group. 96-98 provides an interesting step away from ‘excellent’ to potentially ‘outstanding.’ 99-100 is hallowed territory and provides an indication of a potentially perfect wine. Sampling En-Primeur throws a curveball as some critics will provide a 97-100 – clearly a wine which could be ‘perfect’ but and as I
have seen too often, drops to 97 when it’s re-scored in the bottle. The release price is often higher due to its perfect potential and two years later, it falls from grace with little demand unless it is relatively inexpensive.
Some critics are well-known for providing far too many 100 points to a stage whereby they have lost credibility and some may question their independence as a wine writer. Conversely, some are hard to please and rarely provide a perfect score. To these writers, 19.0 / 19.5 or 99 points is as good as a wine gets. Personally, I believe readers should take a closer look at the tasting note, rather than the score (or at the very least, a combination of both). To this day, I struggle to understand how a critic can award a perfect or close to perfect score with a bland two liner.
The WINEFRONT trio fit into bracket of ‘hard to please’ which we, at The Vinorium like. In fact, and please correct me if I am wrong, they are yet to award 100-points since the inception of WINEFRONT, 2002. With a little research, the trio have awarded few Aussie wines 99 points: 1965 Tulloch Private Bin Dry Red, 1965 Lindeman’s Hunter River Burgundy Bin 3110, Penfolds Grange Shiraz 2004 and Penfolds Rare 50-Year-Old Tawny Series 3 NV. The remaining wines originating from Europe.
Forty wines received 98 points and include some famous names such as; ’05 Château Haut-Brion, Château Mouton and Château Léoville Las Cases, ’96 Cristal and ’92 Penfolds Bin 60A which emphasises the prodigious nature of this group… Hone down recent vintages and you’re left with ten wines; Cullen Diana Madeline 2015, Mount Mary JDWM Cabernet 2015, Clonakilla T&L Vineyard Block One Shiraz 2016, Penfolds Bin 111A Shiraz 2016, Tyrrell’s Old Patch Shiraz 2018, Mount Pleasant 1946 Vines Rosehill Vineyard Shiraz 2018 and our very own 2018 Standish Wine Co Lamella Shiraz which is wonderful to see…
98 Points Gary Walsh
The WineFront
“It feels like falling into a private universe”
“Hutton Vale Farm, Eden Valley. It’s sold out at the winery, I believe, and for me, it’s the best, and most complete wine from the 2018 releases. I don’t think Barossa/Eden Shiraz gets much better than this, and, so pleasingly, oak is not a feature of the wine. Great wines, to my tastes, are rarely oak-driven. It’s the quality of tannin that marks this out as a special wine. So dense, so ‘mineral’, it’s a cascade of shale tumbling through the mouth. Perfume of Earl Grey tea, sage and mint, black cherry and blueberry, chocolate and espresso. It’s fresh, with a raspberry succulence, inner-perfume of dried rose and lavender, cooling almost minty fresh acidity, poached rhubarb, and a slick of ferrous tannin on a finish of enormous length. Immense structure, delivered with precision and grace. It feels like falling into a private universe.”
How did the current releases from Hill of Grace and Grange stack-up? The $900 2015 Grange received 97 points from Campbell Mattinson and the $865 2015 Hill of Grace received 98 points (after watching an interesting thirteen-minute video).
…And view from others
Stuart McCloskey "The bouquet is exceedingly floral with a strong marine influence. Warm earth, espresso, violet, mineral, lead pencil, and mint are just some of the components which create the glorious and ever evolving bouquet. There is more structure from the acidity and tannins which keep the voluptuous, ripe, and supremely concentrated black fruits in perfect check. Ethereal in weight. Fine boned with an immense future ahead of itself. Not as amiable as the Andelmonde but this is precise winemaking aligned with nature itself. The finish is epically long. Drink before bed (do not clean your teeth) and you’ll be tasting it when you rise. Just incredible. Truly so. Decanted for 3.5 hours and served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drinking window from 2020 to 2050++." Tasted 06.05.2020
The same decanted wine was sampled circa 24 hours later
(overnight we placed a tight clingfilm seal over each decanter)…
Summary: The bouquet is explosive and speaks loudly of its terroir –Iron, flint, incredibly muscular and alluring. Very Côte-Rôtie but with a lick more sweetness. The palate is expansive and drenched with ripe black / blue fruits. I love the bitter espresso and liquorice finish. I feel a tad mean with my score as this is an incredible wine, and just starting out on life. I truly believe this will be perfect in a decade or two and will achieve 100 points. But, and for now, an almost perfect score will suffice.
My Overall Score: 99 Points
98-100 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com)
“Another potentially perfect wine, the 2018 Lamella Shiraz, from the Eden Valley, is full-bodied and velvety in texture. Offering swirls of complex mixed berries, tea and spice, it finishes long and tannic, with plenty of backbone and structure, plus intriguing hints of espresso and chocolate. In contrast to The Standish, it's more impressive, while The Standish is more opulent and generous”
We sent Matthew Jukes and Sarah Ahmed samples of Dan’s 2018 Standish collection. Whilst we wait for Matthew, Sarah has ben eloquent and incredibly enthusiastic with the new releases. So much so, Sarah will be writing a meaty 1,300-word producer profile for Decanter magazine – the feature will include the full 2017 and 2018 collections, which is fantastic news for Dan, Nicole and Team Vinorium. It’s planned to be released in their Christmas / December edition, which will be on the shelves and available in November. I wonder how many new Standish Wine Co. fans will emerge through the article? Will there be any left for Decanter readers (Lamella in particular)?
As Gary stated – the ’18 Lamella has sold-out in Australia (Nicole emailed me this week, “Dan and I have not been ignoring you, we’ve just been inundated with our Mail Order release.”)
To many, and bang for the buck, (one of, if not the) number one wine in Australia…
Read - Standish Wines:
The 2018 Collection
..Dan and his wife, Nicole, are no strangers to many Vinorium customers as their spectacular collection of Shiraz has been gracing our tables for the past few years. However, and to those unfamiliar with... Read more
Our wine of the Week
Grant Burge Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
97++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Sourced from the famed Corryton Park vineyard, high in the cool-climate Eden Valley in the Barossa Ranges. A decade on, the wine is deep and brooding with leather, liquorice, tobacco, cough-candy and warm earth unfolds from my glass – the bouquet is riveting. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh with a sweet opening of blackberry, raspberry and anise. There’s a lot of scaffolding in place which has held this wine in good order nonetheless, the palate is developing beautifully with many shades and dimensions on show. The tannins are dusty and the finish is honestly endless, but does eventually fade to dried blood orange. A lovely Cabernet experience… Decanted for 3 hours and served using Zalto glassware.”
£40.50 per bottle
Also available In Bond @ £189.55 per case of 6
Every purchase of 6 bottles will include the original wooden case
Grant Burge Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
James Halliday "Barrel and bottle ageing has led to the first stages of colour change; overall this cabernet sauvignon has remarkable synergy to its flavour, structure and texture inputs, resulting in a supple, ultra-smooth and beautifully balanced exercise in blackcurrant/cassis fruit."
£44.95 per bottle
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Grant Burge Corryton Park
Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Vinorium Award - 2019 Best Value Wine of the Year: Bronze
98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “A heavenly nose of cassis, plum, soy, graphite and lots of mineralite at play here. With time, cedar / pencil box aromatics unfold. The palate speaks more of finesse than power. Incredibly complex and not overly tannic. The entry is sweet, ambitious with ripe, silky black fruits. Texturally, and impossible to miss, is the sense of finesse and grace which weaves its magic and is seldom seen in the Barossa. Cedar and graphite-infused fruit emerge but I keep coming back to the wines beguiling poise. Svelte and sensuous with a little wood dust which adds a lovely texture. The finish seems endless – clove and fennel seed leading to orange peel? I could go on, but I must stop. In short, this is a brilliant and uncompromising Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. Think expensive Bordeaux Second-Growth and you’ll be right on the money”. Served in Zalto Bordeaux glass.
£24.95 per bottle
Also available in bond @ £111.40 per case of 6
Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz 2012
Decanter World Wine Awards Gold 2019
98 Points - James Halliday "The 22nd release of Meshach celebrates the great '12 Barossa Valley vintage. The colour is still deep crimson-purple, setting the pattern for the bouquet and palate to follow. A wine of the highest quality in the Olympian class of Barossa Valley shiraz, seamless, calmly powerful and perfectly balanced. Black fruits dominate, but this is no one-dimensional power play, with hints of licorice, bitter chocolate and graphite. The tannins and oak contributions are perfectly placed and paced."
£51.95 per bottle
*Every purchase of 6 bottles will include the original wooden case
Also available in bond @ £215.00 per case of 6
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Grant Burge Abednego GSM 2014
James Halliday "37.5% shiraz, 35% mourvedre, 27.5% grenache, a mix of open and stainless steel fermentation, basket-pressed, 65% matured in 2500l French vats, 35% in used French oak for 16 months. As long as you are prepared to patient, this is a very distinguished Barossa Valley blend, taking it right up to McLaren Vale. Spiced red and black fruits leap from the glass on the bouquet, following through onto the fore-palate. The tannins need more time to soften, and will do so well in advance of the fruit diminishing."
£37.50 per bottle
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Grant Burge Balthasar Shiraz 2014
James Halliday "Flavours of red and black berry fruits, spice, dark chocolate and cedary oak have been blended into a medium to full-bodied wine smoothie on the mid-palate before tannins add authority on the finish."
£23.95 per bottle
We are genuinely bowled over by the generosity of the Purple Hands guys. We do hope you take this opportunity to sample some amazing wines, produced by one of Australia’s finest winemakers (Craig is the senior winemaker for Grant Burge and globally in charge of winemaking for Accolade wines). A ‘Baker’s Dozen’ case is available until stocks last.
* Offer ends Monday 8th June *
After Five Shiraz 2017
97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “A thrilling, single vineyard Shiraz which has been meticulously crafted by the skilled hands of Craig Stansborough. The site is around 260-280m above sea level with vines planted in 2000 and is own rooted, clones are heritage and 1654. The nose is heady and aromatically perfumed with intense black raspberry, crème de cassis, bramble and fennel seed. The warm earth notes keep it grounded (forgive the pun!) as do the cedar notes. Vanilla kicks in after many hours in the decanter (we decanted for 6). The palate is medium-bodied and offers a lovely sense of nimbleness. The tannins are fine and weave perfectly with the fruit. The combination spreads across your palate with such ease. A Barossa Shiraz which is svelte, controlled, neat & tidy. Nothing is overdone – it’s just a joy to experience such great winemaking. Remarkably approachable but I do believe this will be showing at its best in 5-8 years’ time and will go on for a good decade. Immensely appealing. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware”
Was £26.95 per bottle
Special Offer £22.95 per bottle
Baker’s Dozen Case
£275.40 per 12 pack + 1 bottle FREE
Saving you - £74.95 per case
** Only 8 cases available **
After Five Grenache 2018
95 Points - James Halliday's Wine Companion "From the Zerk vineyard at Lyndoch. An almost ethereal bouquet, displaying aromas of raspberry, rose perfume and sweet vanillin spice. Rich and easy drinking (in a positive way) on first impression, there's depth and dimension to the flavour and texture which builds in the mouth and develops further as the wine breathes. High quality for now or later."
Was £26.95 per bottle
Special Offer £22.95 per bottle
Baker’s Dozen Case
£275.40 per 12 pack + 1 bottle FREE
Saving you - £74.95 per case
** Only 11 cases available **
After Five Montepulciano 2018
Craig Stansborough (Winemaker) “Planted in 2011 on its own roots, the vines have been spur pruned as this seems to suit the soil profile and the variety. The vine has a tendency to overcrop so we generally thin around veraison, I believe this is critical to get even phenolic ripeness. The Monty tends to be quite late ripening, generally 6 -8 weeks later than the Shiraz next to it.
Was £22.95 per bottle
Special Offer £20.75 per bottle
Baker’s Dozen Case
£249.00 per 12 pack + 1 bottle FREE
Saving you - £49.35 per case
** Only 3 cases available **
After Five Serata 2017
95 Points - James Halliday "Shiraz, aglianico and montepulciano, made and matured separately for 17 months prior to blending. All French oak, mostly older. The juicy plumminess of shiraz is evident, but the savoury red cherry character likely coming from its partners. More pertinent is that the blend has worked well, providing a seamless mouthfeel with length and depth of flavour."
Was £26.95 per bottle
Special Offer £24.50 per bottle
Baker’s Dozen Case
£294.00 per 12 pack + 1 bottle FREE
Saving you - £56.35 per case
** Only 2 cases available **
95 Points - James Halliday "Shiraz, aglianico and montepulciano, made and matured separately for 17 months prior to blending. All French oak, mostly older. The juicy plumminess of shiraz is evident, but the savoury red cherry character likely coming from its partners. More pertinent is that the blend has worked well, providing a seamless mouthfeel with length and depth of flavour."
Was £21.15 per bottle
Special Offer £19.25 per bottle
Baker’s Dozen’ Case
£231.00 per 12 pack + 1 bottle FREE
Saving you - £43.95 per case
** Only 5 cases available **
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