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The 99 point Cabernet ranked #1 from Margaret River
plus the 
The 98 point Chardonnay - the equal highest ranked 2020 Chardonnay from Marg River

Hi Folks, there is one Margaret River winery that is rising above all others from the region.  This winery has both, the #1 ranked Marg River Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 on The Real Review and the equal highest rating of Margaret River 2020 Chardonnay in the Halliday Companion.  

That winery is Stella Bella and the wines are 
Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (99 points Stuart Knox) and Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay 2020 (98 Points James Halliday).
Stella Bella have firmly established themselves in the top echelon of Margaret River producers and their chief winemaker Luke Jolliffe was a finalist in the Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine's Winemaker of the Year award in 2020.

A quick scan of the wine's plaudits (see below) are very eye catching.  The Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon is rated the # 1 2019 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon on The Real Review, ahead of 60+  other Margaret River 'big guns'.  Similarly, the 2020 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay is the equal top ranked 2020 Margaret River Chardonnay on Halliday Wine Companion (alongside 2 others selling for at least double the price of this)
Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
99 points - Stuart Knox, The Real Review
# 1 2019 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon - The Real Review
96 points - Gary Walsh, WineFront

Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay 2020
98 points & Top 100 Wines of 2021 - James Halliday
# 1 2020 Margaret River Chardonnay - Halliday Wine Companion
97 points - Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
If you love Margaret River Cabernet and Chardonnay, then these are "must buys".  Our usual "get in quick" disclaimer applies. 

Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

"This is very close to perfection"
  99pts, Stuart Knox, The Real Review

# 1 2019 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon - The Real Review

96 points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front


"Deep ruby-red core into a bright purple rim.  The nose lifts with blueberry and cassis, underscored by a hint of cigar box and wakame.  Power with poise, the fruit is perfectly-ripe black and blue berries, layered amongst this is a line of umami salinity and a softening spice and cedar-wood element from thoughtful oak use.  The tannins are fine and supple on entry, building their presence as the wine's power builds in synchronicity.  That intensity and flow carries it long to the finish, which when it eventually arrives is a clean and perfumed delight.  This is very close to perfection."  99 points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review

"Black fruit, raspberry, baking spice, violet, maybe a little seaweed.  It’s tightly-packed, intense berry fruit, tasteful spicy oak, again that umami kind of nori thing happening, freshness, tight graphite tannin, saline, savoury and perfumed on a long finish.  Tops."  96 points, Gary Walsh, WineFront

Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is $77.95 - Buy Now
Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay 2020

"A very complex wine of immediate power"  
98pts & Top 100 Wines of 2021

James Halliday

"This is powerful and concentrated"  
97pts, Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion

"There's something special about Chardonnay from this site" 
Gary Walsh, Wine Front

 
"Wild fermented in French barriques; neither fined nor filtered.  A very complex wine of immediate power, with a deliberately funky bouquet, then changing tack with the glorious purity and focus of the palate, white peach, grapefruit and cashew/almond combining in a single stream of joy."  98 points, James Halliday

"This is powerful and concentrated.  The minerally precision of the vineyard remains, however, with a generous undercurrent of salted yellow peach and pink grapefruit.”  97 points, Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion

"I like these 2020 vintage Chardonnay wines from Stella Bella. They have a little more richness, gloss and glide, without losing their typical tightness.  Lime and lime rind, almond, white nectarine, brine, and a little spice.  It’s firm and grapefruity, with tight and flinty acidity, but has this gently viscous almond cream thing happening, which really lays on the charm.  Finish is long, tangy, and saline.  Lovely wine."  95 points, Gary Walsh, WineFront
Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay 2020 is $59.99 - Buy Now
Stella Bella Cabernet Merlot 2019

95 points & Top 100 Wines of 2021 James Halliday

"Cabernet sauvignon is the driver, percentages irrelevant; it’s blackcurrant rather than cassis per se, but the tannins that might have bullied the merlot are in fact relaxed and accommodating.  A budget-priced entry into the Margaret River castle of this blend, helped by the excellent vintage.”  95 points & Top 100 Wines of 2021 James Halliday

"Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, cedar, brambles, dried herbs and tobacco.  Mid to full-bodied, plum, blackberry, briar and black olive.  There’s savoury, textured tannins, which are long and layered.  The wine has a lushness to its fruit, then the tannins and crunchy acidity kick in to shape it all up and drive the mouth-feel and texture.  Great value!"  92 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
Stella Bella Cabernet Merlot 2019 is $23.95 - Buy Now
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"A lot of wine here for the price"  Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"You'll be back for a second glass" Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion

"Aromas of cherries and dark chocolate with a powerful ripe palate with firm tannins and vibrant flavours.  Astringent end."  5 + years.  Best Buy.  Winestate Magazine, July/August 2018

"Deep, dense colour, a tint of purple in the rim.  The bouquet is oaky with trace of creosote, and the palate even moreso.  It's a big, gutsy red.  There is some bitterness in the tannins and the aftertaste is quite oaky.  It's not for everybody.  A solid decant is recommended.  A lot of wine here for the price."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review

"Red rims affirm the freshness of this, otherwise, purple wine.  There's a hint of cassis, with dark spices and red berries more dominant.  The palate is soft and fruit is allowed to sing.  Juicy and bright, with acidity in check.  Great value."  Nick Butler, The Real Review

"Cold-soaked, fermented in small open vats.  21 months in French hogsheads.  Curranty fruit on the bouquet with some cedary oak influence.  A medium-bodied sort of palate, quite softly textured, red fruit flavours with gentle but persistent tannin.  Not a wine that immediately grabs your attention, but you'll be back for a second glass."  Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion
Reillys Barking Mad Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is $14.95 - Buy Now

Dominique Piron Beaujolais-Villages 2020

"Very good value''  Tamlyn Currin
"Such a generous and expressive wine"  James Suckling
Equal top-rated Beaujolais  Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine

 

"A charming wine with excellent palate weight with a frame of balanced acidity and fine tannin.  Cherry stone succulence and lingering berry flavours.  An impressive core of concentrated soft red fruit.  Astute winemaking allows the variety character to shine.”  95 Points (equal top-rated Beaujolais), Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine

"Such a generous and expressive wine for this humble appellation with plenty of violet and herbal aromas and healthy tannins.  Ripe black cherries on the mid-palate and a lively mineral finish that pulls you back for more of this beautifully crafted red.  Drink or hold."  91 Points, James Suckling

''Graphite and pomegranate and wild night-jasmine, bosky fragrance.  Particularly fine tannin texture, like a flute whittled out of olive wood and polished to a silky sheen.  The fruit, dark red and sculpted, has startling purity for a Beaujolais-Villages.  Clean, long, evening-breeze-fresh, graphite-lined finish.  Very good value.'' Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com

Dominique Piron Beaujolais-Villages 2020 is $23.95 - Buy Now
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py 2020

"This is rather glamorous! The moment it was in my mouth, the only word I could find was ‘magnificent’ "
Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com

''This structured wine from vines planted on the volcanic soil of the Côte de Py slope is young but already impressive.  With dark fruits and dense tannins, it will take a while to mature.''  95 Points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

"A bold and imposing wine for gamay, this is also brimming with intense black cherry fruit and a slew of spices.  And behind this is a major tannin structure that’s been precisely crafted to hold all this beautiful madness together."  93 Points, James Suckling

"Bruised iris, earthy, woody, violet-flower scented.  This is rather glamorous!  The moment it was in my mouth, the only word I could find was ‘magnificent’.  It tasted, felt, like black-purple silk.  Like midnight.  Like pewter by candlelight.  Smoky yet headily floral – but darkly floral.  Pomegranate molasses and souk spice.  Black cherries and kohl pencil.  A Beaujolais channelling the soul of Marrakech.  It would be fascinating to taste this with Moroccan food."  17/20, Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py 2020 is $42.95 - Buy Now
Lone Star Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

“Lots of zest appeal here, taking off with all manner of citrus flavours and lemon blossom florals too.  There's texture with some lees influence imparting grilled nuts and creamy curd.  A shapely wine with soft acidity gently leading it to the finishing line.”  92 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

“Upper Yarra Chardonnay. Single vineyard. Made by Franco D’Anna.  It’s racy in style but it has the texture, complexity and length to pull it off.  It tastes of lemon curd and sprays of fragrant herbs, though nectarine and cedar push through too.  I don’t overtly see flint here but it’s suggestive of it; it’s a vibe thing.  There’s also a mineral water note, amongst it all, which works beautifully.  We are now a couple of years from this wine’s vintage but it still feels as though it’s a couple of years from really being ready to drink at its best, though of course there’s enjoyment to be had now.  Value once again is very high.”  92+ points, Campbell Mattinson, WineFront

Lone Star Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 is $22.95 - Buy Now
Lone Star Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

“Inoculated and aged 10 months in French barriques, 25% new.  It seems reds, pinot noir particularly, come loaded with acid and a lighter frame this vintage.  This is simply made but it's a little beauty.  A core of tangy juicy fruit, super fragrant and so juicy with shy tannins.  A light red to enjoy in its youth. Spot-on.”  93 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

 “Smoky aromatics and indeed flavours and with a dry, sinewy aspect to it.  This is a pinot noir for those who prefer structure over overt fruit, not that there’s necessarily a lack of the latter.  Red cherries, lots of twiggy spice, crushed fennel, smoke and herbs.  Savouriness writ large.  This will age but, personally, I would tuck into this now.”  91 points, Campbell Mattinson, WineFront

Lone Star Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 is $23.95 - Buy Now
Lone Star Creek Vineyard Red 2020

“60% pinot noir, all destemmed and 40% syrah with 25% whole bunches, fermented separately.  It's part of the light dry red movement in the Yarra.  This is just right.  Savoury yet juicy, light and bright with enough textural tannins and lively acidity to go another round.  Or three.”  93 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

“Blend of pinot noir and syrah from the Upper Yarra.  It’s a lightweight wine with a heap of personality.  It presents a meaty version of the red cherry-and-cranberry style, the acids sitting high in a refreshing/more-ish way and the twig/spice notes flying in all directions.  There’s a smoke note here, a roasted character, in the context of refreshment.  It works for me.”  91 points, Campbell Mattinson, WineFront

“Medium ruby-red colour, crystal clear and bright.  Red cherries, bracken and oyster-shell aromas.  Red berries, cinnamon and pepper-spice roll across the palate.  A lithe and vibrant palate with good length and drive.  A drink-now style that offers a lot of character and value.“  91 points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review

Lone Star Creek Vineyard Red 2020 is $23.95 - Buy Now
Lone Star Creek Vineyard Sampler 6-Pack


Buy the Lone Star Creek Vineyard Sampler 6-Pack and you'll receive two bottles each of the following wines:

  • Lone Star Creek Vineyard Chardonnay 2020
  • Lone Star Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 
  • Lone Star Creek Vineyard Red 2020 
Lone Star Creek Vineyard Sampler 6-Pack is $132 - Buy Now
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2019
 
"A complex wine from the outset with gently reductive notes and modern oak spice threading into fresh cherry, spiced bread, rose, forest wood and blood orange, as well as darker cherry notes. The palate tells the full story. This displays real power and definition with clear-cut and powerful tannins. The intensity of the red-cherry fruit is impressive and the way it occupies the finish with length and uplift is the thing that defines great pinot noir per se. Strong vintage." Rating: 98 Points, Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com

"Elegant, seamless pinot noir with fragrant, floral, red rose, dark cherry, anise, spice and restrained savoury and fresh herb characters. It's a complex medley of appealing flavours supported by an ethereal texture and a lingering finish. A surprisingly accessible wine from an excellent vintage. Should develop well with bottle age." Rating: 98 Points.  Bob Campbell MW
Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2019 is $99.99 - Buy Now
Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir 2019

"Ata Rangi’s second-label pinot noir made from grapes grown on younger vines than their flagship wine. It is sporting a new label showing a stylised Pōhutukawa flower. Seamless, stylish pinot noir with savoury, dried herb, spice, cherry, floral and violet flavours. Deliciously approachable now but should develop well, at least in the medium term."  Rating: 94 points. Bob Campbell.  The Real Review

"Youthful, vibrant, fresh and lively bouquet with aromas of cherries and plums, dried herbs and silty soil layers, a fine lees and wood spice aromatics. Overall - vibrant, youthful and high energy. On the palate - dry, youthful, plenty of texture from tannin and acidity, bright young red fruit flavours contrast the texture and a vibrant youthful mouthfeel overall. Best drinking from 2022 through 2028+. 93 Points Excellent" Cam Douglas, camdouglasms.com.
Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir 2019 is $38.99 - Buy Now

Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2021

"Lovely."  
Gary Walsh 

"‍I’m often asked to recommend a ‘value for money’ pinot noir. My instant reply is: “Wickhams Road."  Peter Bourne, Gourmet Traveller Wine

"It’s looking like a good vintage in many places. Fine bones, but with flavour. Strawberry, raspberry, some spice and dried rose perfume. Medium-bodied, crisp and bright, has a bit of a sap and semi-dried tomato flavour in the mix, fine chalky tannin, and a finish of good definition and solid length. Still pretty young as at now, and I suspect it has more to offer. Lovely."  Gary Walsh.  The Wine Front.
Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2021 is $18.99 - Buy Now
Nocturne Sheoak Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

"Scintillating. Achingly intense. Totally delicious."  97 Points.  Erin Larkin

"A great expression of Margaret River cabernet" 98 Points Nick Stock

"Fruit from the Sheoak vineyard, matured for 18 months in French oak (25% new). Firmly placed on the midnight spectrum and twinkling with as many cabernet flavours as there are stars in the sky. Scintillating. Achingly intense. Totally delicious."  97 Points & Special Value Wine Erin Larkin

"A great expression of Margaret River cabernet sauvignon with intensity, purity and focus, this offers aromas of roasting herbs, black fruit and cedar, together with some purple floral perfume. The palate is strikingly pure and sleek with a wealth of purple and black berry flavors, delivered in a definitively fresh, balanced an intense style. Try from 2024 and at least a decade after that."  98 Points Nick Stock for James Suckling
Nocturne Sheoak Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 is $49 - Buy Now
Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis 2020

"Bernard Defaix has well and truly made its mark as one of the top producers in Chablis."  Gourmet Traveller Wine Guide

"Brilliant winemaking, brilliant wines."  3 Star Rating (the highest rating awarded to only 9 Chablis producers)  Austen Biss

"The quality of the Defaix wines now puts the domaine among the top 10 in Chablis." Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

''They might be described as traditional Chablis in the best sense of the word and all-in-all, represent excellent value-for-money.''  Neal Martin,  Wine Advocate Magazine

 
“Concentrated, good clarity – faintly accented with greens. Supple – again concentrated – great freshness and shape in the mouth – yes a little pyrazine but here is super mouth-feel and a delicious complexity of flavour.  Very long too.”  Bill Nanson, The Burgundy Report
 
“Racked six weeks ago.  Pale lemon yellow.  This is supple and stylish, with white fruit, easy on the attack yet still with good grip behind and a light iodine touch to accompany the white fruit.  Good finish.” Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Bernard Defaix Chablis 2020 is $59.95 - Buy Now
Oakridge Vineyard Series Henk Chardonnay 2020
 
"They all completely over-deliver for the price, too.” 97 points.
Philip Rich


"It has all the line and length you could wish for."
Campbell Mattinson

“From a single vineyard in Woori Yallock, from 2008 plantings of 95 clone.  Hand picked and whole-bunch pressed to puncheons for maturation and fermentation.  A bright green gold, this is immediately engaging and open with its aromas of white peach, white flowers and preserved lemons.  With its superb purity of fruit, I love the way the acidity cuts through the wine, giving it backbone and length.  All the 2020 Vineyard Series chardonnays are subtle variations on a theme, with the Henk being my pick today.  They all completely over-deliver for the price, too.”  97 points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

"This is a piercing release with green pineapple, cedar, oatmeal and lime flavours bursting through the palate.  Indeed it’s a wine that just seems to go on and on.  It’s lean and daring but it has enough flavour to carry it and then there’s that finish, which is impressive to say the least.  What this wine needs is time, to flesh out.  It has all the line and length you could wish for."  93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Oakridge 'Henk Vineyard' Chardonnay 2020 is $34.50- Buy Now
Oakridge 'Yarra Valley Series' Pinot Noir 2019

"Lively and fresh.  Get into this now." 
94pts, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

"This is a $30 Pinot Noir with quality written all over it." 
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

"That red fruit core is pretty handsome for this price.  Definitely recommended." 
Andrew Graham, Australian Wine Review

95 points and Gold Medal at the 2020 Yarra Valley Wine Show

“A similar feel or DNA to the Light Dry Red and you know what that means?  It's a delicious drink.  Full of bright, juicy cherries and pips, laced with woodsy spices and a dash of Angostura bitters.  Smoky and sultry, too. Just shy of full bodied, textural and plush, with slightly grainy tannins. Lively and fresh.  Get into this now.”  94 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

"This is a $30 Pinot Noir with quality written all over it.  It’s drinking beautifully right now and there’s nothing really to suggest that it won’t maintain the charm offensive for a good few years. It feels both dry and polished, savoury and sour, but it’s the swish, ripe, red berried fruit and the seamless integration of smoky oak that has it feeling both certain and seductive.  It’s an A Grade Drink Now Pinot Noir, with the attributes to hold and mature."  93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The WineFront

"Youthful and bright in the glass. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, sap, spice and dried herbs.  Fresh and bright in flavour, cherry, redcurrant, woodsy, spice and brambly.  The tannins shape the wine and the acidity is crunchy and gives plenty of freshness and drive."  92 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review


"Arguably a little serious for this list and the finish is a bit drying, but it’s also very drinkable.  It’s the mezzanine level Pinot for Oakridge, after the Over The Shoulder entry point, but the lines are classic Yarra Valley Pinot.  Generous, sappy, and full of red fruit, the mid-palate chugs along with great raspberry plum generosity, then with a firmer-than-expected tannin handshake to finish.  That red fruit core is pretty handsome for this price.  Definitely recommended."  92 points, Andrew Graham, Australian Wine Review

Oakridge 'Yarra Valley Series' Pinot Noir 2019 is $23.99 - Buy Now
Santa & D'Sas 'Valentino' Sangiovese 2016

Best Wine of the Show - Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
Best Red Wine - Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
Best Red Italian Variety - Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show

"Most Australian sangioveses are made from a single clone of the grape, and released young. The fact there are so many clones of sangiovese in this blend, plus the longer-than-usual time spent in barrel and bottle, have produced a classic example of the variety that has both super-complex fruit flavours and savoury maturity. Deeply autumnal red cherry and dried leaf aromatics, a touch of meaty, even bloody development, but really lively and vivid on the tongue with more red fruit, a twist of almond and grippy tannin. Decant into a rustic wine jug an hour or so before serving for best effect."  Max Allen.  AFR.

"This is an arresting sangiovese. Dense, rich, quite profound, with some forward development and attractive mellowness. Smoked charcuterie, balsamic herbs, mellow fruit aromas and flavours. Savoury and intriguing, the tannins abundant but supple. Excellent."  Top New Release Australian Reds.  Gourmet Traveller Wine.


"Medium to deep red to brick-red colour, with some development which shows in the bouquet as well as colour. It's mellow and complex, savoury and intriguing, with some smoked charcuterie notes and deep-buried red fruits of considerable concentration. Balsamic herbs, too. The tannins are ample and supple. This is rich and dense and quite profound: a very smart wine and very inviting"  Huon Hooke.

This hails from the famed Greenstone Vineyard, a bastion of early Heathcote experimentation. Rich and loaded with bitter chocolate, quality oak vanillas and coffee bean as they meld with the abundant tannic cage of Sangiovese, this is a rich sheath of dark fruit flavours and root spices, slung across a herbal undercarriage. The carapace of astringency and acidity keeps it on the straight and narrow.  Ned Goodwin MW.   James Halliday Wine Companion.
Santa & D'Sas 'Valentino' Sangiovese 2016 is $24.99 - Buy Now

Longhop Old Vine Grenache 2021
"It’s an excellent wine that’s choc full of character."

 93 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

"New packaging for a fine vintage in South Australia.  Sort of hazelnut and sage in browned butter sort of thing, raspberry and macerated cherry.  It has a savoury nutty character, cherry pip and plump red fruits, a fine and firm grain to tannin, plenty of flavour, and lots of chew and grip to a nice long finish, and also, more than a little dried rose perfume too.  Wholesome and tasty, wheaty and good.  It’s an excellent wine that’s choc full of character."  93 points, Gary Walsh, WineFront

Longhop Old Vine Grenache 2021 is $16.99 - Buy Now
Longhop Ravine Riesling 2021
 "A very strong buy recommendation for drinking now, or over the next few years." 94 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

"Well look at this would you. A Longhop Riesling, with fancy packaging too.  Juicy, bath salts perfume, green apple and lime leaf.  It has grip and lovely texture, a little bit savoury, a little bit fun, a fine chalky texture, all this grip and perfume, with again the apple and lemon zest bitterness carrying it long.  Delightful.  Fleshy and flavoursome.  A very strong buy recommendation for drinking now, or over the next few years."  94 points, Gary Walsh,  The Wine Front

Longhop Ravine Riesling 2021 is $16.99 - Buy Now

What makes this 6-Pack great is that every country and every region has a different interpretation of the variety, so you get to enjoy all types of styles.  Compare France to New Zealand, Australia to Italy, North America to South Africa.

The asking price is $205 for the box, delivered anywhere in Australia.

This Chardonnay 6-pack explores countries, regions and styles and will provide you not only with 6 great chardonnays, but a chance to understand the differences.  This 6-pack contains the following wines:

Rolando Langhe Chardonnay DOC 2020 - Italy
Oakridge 'Willowlake' Chardonnay 2019 - Australia 
Cannonball Chardonnay 2019  - America
Pierrick Laroche Chablis AC 2020  - France  
Kumeu Village Chardonnay 2021 - New Zealand  

Thelema Chardonnay 2018 - South Africa 
 
Chardonnay from Around The World 6-Pack is $205 - Buy Now
Tim Adams Clare Valley Riesling 2014

95 point, 8 year old Riesling for $19.99

"Sourced from a number of vineyards at various locations, this year gaining two new components: the Skilly Ridge Vineyard and a high vineyard at Penwortham.  Bright, crisp and with the hallmark Clare Valley length; lemon blossom and lemon flavour is the fulcrum for both present and future enjoyment, the zesty finish another plus."  95 points, James Halliday

"Lovely fragrant wine with kaffir lime leaf, juicy lime fruit and a subtle blossom perfume.  Fresh and flavoursome, no hard edges to be found, yet well etched with clean flinty acidity, as is the Tim Adams way. Has length and a juicy floral finish.  Great to drink."  94 points, Gary Walsh, WineFront

Tim Adams Riesling 2014 is $19.99 - Buy Now
Good quality Bordeaux for well under $30 is as rare as hen's teeth - you need a really good vintage, just like the 2016.  This falls squarely into no-brainer territory for Bordeaux lovers.
Chateau Meillac Bordeaux Superieur Fronsac 2016

"Dominated by 85% Merlot, this classic right bank Bordeaux blend is packed with juicy fruit characters and wild blackberry; some notes of fresh tobacco and spice confirm that the wine has matured gracefully and is slowly reaching its ideal drinking time. It is generous and structured; the fleshy tannins carry the fruit to a very respectable length. Note that the ripe tannins help the wine keeping its poise in an open bottle for 48h, in fact it opens to a new range of characters, no small feat indeed."  Loïc Le Calvez, Wine Truth
Chateau Meillac Bordeaux Superieur Fronsac 2016 is $25.99 - Buy Now
Lake Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

The Cheapest 97 Point Cabernet in the 2022 Wine Companion!

"The epitome of signature Langhorne Creek cabernet. The quality of the fruit is in evident from the outset. It's matured for 20 months in French oak, 40% new, yet this is subservient to the black/blueberry aromas and flavours, some regional dark choc-mint adding a tiny whiff behind. Everything knits together perfectly and the varietal tannin structures lie in exact tune with the whole. When it works so well, wines like this just come alive."  Rating: 97 Points.  The Wine Companion.
Lake Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is $24.90- Buy Now
A.Rodda Cuvee de Chez 2018

"one of the most stylishly understated modern reds being made in Victoria right now."  James Suckling

"Subtle and still powerful. Terrific stuff"
- Nick Butler (The Real Review)

"This blend of Bordelais grapes is one of the most stylishly understated modern reds being made in Victoria right now. It has such charming aromas of red, blue and purple berries, gentle earth and bracken, as well as super-subtle oak spice and cedar. The palate is so smoothly curated and the velvety tannins carry fresh, pillowy blueberry, blackcurrant and red-berry flavors aloft. Great wine.”   James Suckling

"A vibrant indigo hue in the glass. Red licorice, dried red roses, cinnamon and spiced plums - oak is toasty with some hazelnut notes. A very attractive glide across the palate showing raspberries and red plums, acidity and tannins in perfect balance. Subtle and still powerful. Terrific stuff." - Nick Butler (The Real Review)
A.Rodda Cuvee de Chez 2018 is $38.00 - Buy Now
Marc Brédif Grande Année Museum Release 1981

Deep honey straw hue. Dried fruit bouquets, figs and prune, quince, honey and acacia notes. A lovely warming palate, baked stonefruits and honeyed fig flavours, citrus anjelica and grapefruit, a lovely softness is balanced by freshness and gentle acidity. A memorable finish of developed fruit characters and freshness. A match to terrine or quenelles, delicate pork recipes and small game.
Marc Brédif Grande Année Museum Release 1981 is $185 - Buy Now
Marc Brédif Classic Vouvray 2016
 
"Light to medium straw colour, with a slightly muffled bouquet revealing a little early development. Subtle honey, malt and tea-leafy nuances. The wine is medium-bodied and slightly off-dry, although the zesty acidity balances it neatly and makes a fine juxtaposition. The ratios of fruit, acid and sweetness result in an irresistibly lively, energetic palate. A lovely drink."  92 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Marc Brédif Classic Vouvray 2016 is $39.99 - Buy Now
Exploration Pinot Noir 6-pack

One of our most popular offers over the past year has been our Exploration Pinot Noir 6-pack - and I firmly believe that this new edition is our best yet.  For me, this 6-pack has everything - small, unheard of producers, highly awarded and sought after wines and wines you can have on a weekday without feeling guilty. 

This 6-pack contains the following wines:


Sidewood Estate Pinot Noir 2020
97 points & Pinot Noir of the Year, Winestate Magazine
Trophy - Best Pinot Noir of Show, Adelaide Hills Wine Show 2021

Rochford Terre Pinot Noir 2019 
98 points.  "A supremely elegant and expressive wine that flows joyously along the palate and into the long aftertaste."  James Halliday

Quealy Campbell & Christine Pinot Noir 2019 
94 points  "Juicy and zesty and framed by its medium-bodied palate and velvety tannins. A delicious drink."  Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
93 points.  "Flavoursome, fresh and energetic. A silky feel to the undercoat too. Lovely stuff."  Mike Bennie, WineFront

Harewood Estate 'Denmark' Pinot Noir 2021
"There are plenty of more expensive Pinots out there that fail to measure up to this one."  Ken Garret.


Bass River '1835' Pinot Noir 2021
A great follow up to the all conquering 2018 vintage which won 3 trophies at the Gippsland Wine Show.  Bass River is one of the more established Gippsland producers with mature vineyards of 20+ years in age.

Spence Geelong Pinot Noir 2018
94 points.  "This is a well muscled pinot with a mix of savoury and spicy notes threaded through plum/black cherry fruit..."  James Halliday
Exploration Pinot Noir 6-pack is $195 - Buy Now
Nick O'Leary Riesling 2021
 
Winner of 4 trophies at the 2021 Canberra & Regions Wine Show:
  • Best Canberra District Riesling
  • Best Riesling
  • Best White Wine
  • Champion Wine of Show
Aromatics of white flowers, apple blossom and citrus. The palate is generous with a powerful mix of Granny Smith apple and freshly squeezed lime. The mouth-watering natural acidity leads to a pristine palate of balance and length.
Nick O'Leary Riesling 2021 is $22.50 - Buy Now
Lightfoot ‘Myrtle Point Vineyard’ Rosé 2021

Winner Trophy for Best Rosé - Gippsland Wine Show 2021

"It has texture, refreshing acidity throughout and finishes dry. Quite enchanting."  Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

As with Nick O'Leary, Lightfoot is a family owned and a consistently awarded winery.  It's a past recipient of Halliday's Wine Companion's Dark Horse award and is noted as "One of the “Best Wineries of the Regions” + “5 black stars”.

The 2021 Rosé won the Trophy for Best Rosé at the 2021 Gippsland Wine Show and comes with a strong review in the Halliday Wine Companion.  

"Made from 60% pinot noir, the remainder shiraz. Starts with an enticing pale copper-salmon colour then offers a floral bouquet with spice and squishy raspberries. It has texture, refreshing acidity throughout and finishes dry. Quite enchanting."  93 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
Lightfoot ‘Myrtle Point Vineyard’ Rosé 2021 is $21.99 - Buy Now
Longhop Shiraz 2020

"This is the pick of the current Longhop crop of reds, well, this and that excellent 2020 Barossa Merlot"  Gary Walsh.

"This is the pick of the current Longhop crop of reds, well, this and that excellent 2020 Barossa Merlot.  Blackberry, dark chocolate, liquorice, toast and spice. Full-bodied, full of dark fruit and dark chocolate, but also, imagine, some black pepper! Tannin is firm and grainy, it’s warm and generous, but keeps itself tidy all up, and has a fleshy finish of good length. Hearty and full of character."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front.
Longhop Shiraz 2020 is $16.99 - Buy Now
Longhop Pinot Gris 2021
"Excellent"  Rating: 92 points.  Gary Walsh
 
"From a dolce sedicenne year old vineyard in Forreston, Adelaide Hills.  Attractive pink tinge here. Musk and nashi pear, fine powdery and pear skin texture, fair bit of perfume, gentle charm and blanched almond flavour on clean finish of fine length. Excellent."  Rating: 92 points.  Gary Walsh
 
"Light bronze wine with lovely aromas of pears and delicate varietal fruit flavours with bright acidity."  Winestate Magazine.
Longhop Pinot Gris 2021 is $16.99 - Buy Now
Longhop Merlot 2020

"Interesting. Bold. Strangely attractive. I like it."  Gary Walsh

"Great value here"  Stuart Knox. The Real Review

"excellent 2020 Barossa Merlot"  Gary Walsh.

 
"A new wine from Longhop, and a Barossa Valley Merlot, no less.  Chocolate, hazelnut, dried herbs, mocha and vanilla, black fruit. It’s thick and full-bodied, dried raspberry and chocolate, a pleasant bitterness to it, thick tannin, plenty of chew and grip, and a panforte spicy finish of good length. Interesting. Bold. Strangely attractive. I like it."  Gary Walsh.  The Winefront.

"Medium intense ruby-red colour with a purple rim. Plums, rosemary, and iodine aromas. A full-bodied red that shows good dark fruit concentration matched to dark earthy savoury notes. Firm, sandy tannins control the fruit well and provide good focus to drive quite a long finish. Great value here"  Rating: 92.  Stuart Knox. The Real Review.
Longhop Merlot 2020 is $16.99 - Buy Now
West Cape Howe Regional Range Tempranillo 2020

Ranked #6 of 39 2020 Tempranillo from Australia
The Real Review


"An impressive tempranillo and well priced."  Huon Hooke.

"Deep, dark, brooding purple/red colour, the bouquet very rich, ripe and dark-fruited. The same flavours carry through to the mouth, where it's full-bodied and firm but balanced in the tannin department, the finish long and seriously structured. An impressive tempranillo and well priced." Top Value.  Huon Hooke.  The Real Review.
West Cape Howe Regional Range Tempranillo 2020 is $19.99 - Buy Now

Luke Lambert Crudo Rosé 2021

Complex, seductive, yet vibrant and lip-smackingly delicious - that pretty much sums up Luke Lambert's Crudo Rosé. This year's wine is 100% Denton Syrah. The fruit was picked early and whole-bunch pressed before the cloudy juice was sent to tank for a wild ferment and wild malo before storage in 4,000-litre French oak foudre. Bottled, as usual, without filtration and with minimal sulphur.

The result is a beautifully savoury expression that, according to its maker, is a "...similar wine to the 2019, perhaps with greater subtlety and perfume thanks to the excellent long and slow growing season".

So, an incredibly moreish rosé with talc, river stone and wild strawberry lift. Cracking value!
Luke Lambert Crudo Rosé 2021 is $26.95 - Buy Now

Luke Lambert Crudo Chardonnay 2021

As per all the 2021 Crudo releases, the Chardonnay comes off the Denton block, a northwest-facing slope of granitic sand over heavy granite boulders. As usual, this was whole-bunch pressed, wild-yeast fermented with no temperature control, saw full malo and old oak (2,000-litre French oak foudre), then zero fining or filtration and only minimal sulphur at bottling.

Luke calls his 2021 a "citrus and talc driven version that will unwrap with more texture over the next six months".  It's already in the Lambert zone, glistening with the pristine, tangy vibrancy of this benign, cooler vintage.
Luke Lambert Crudo Chardonnay 2021 is $27.99 - Buy Now

Pieropan Soave Classico 2020

 
Benchmark Soave Classico!

"Lime and slate on the nose with some pretty, fresh floral notes, too. Medium body with very good balance and tension and persistent fruit.  Refined and compact expression. From organically grown grapes." James Suckling (James Suckling)

The 2020 Pieropan Soave Classico is a brilliant straw yellow color with greenish hints. The delicate nose is reminiscent of almond blossoms and marzipan. Good depth of fruit on the palate, nicely balanced by a zingy acidity that enhances its long length.
Pieropan Soave Classico 2020 is $31.99 - Buy Now

Wickhams Road Gippsland Pinot Noir 2021


#1 of 17 2021 Pinot Noir from Victoria.  The Real Review

"a very complete, complex wine that is outstanding value." Aaron Brasher.

"Really good. "  Gary Walsh
 
"Bright and youthful in the glass. Aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, sap, spice and brambly fruit. Textured, layered and long, plenty of dark cherry, earthiness and spice. There’s real weight and flesh to the fruit flavour. Textured, chalky tannins and lively acidity make for a very complete, complex wine that is outstanding value."  Aaron Brasher.  #1 of 17 2021 Pinot Noir from Victoria.  The Real Review

"Cherry and spice, a little sweet earthiness, and a pleasing amount of fragrance. Medium-bodied, cherry and raspberry, fine dense powdery tannin, a gentle sort of succulence and long fleshy finish. Really good."  Rated: 92 Points. Gary Walsh. The Wine Front
Wickhams Road Gippsland Pinot Noir 2021 is $18.95 - Buy Now

Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019
97 points  James Halliday
96 Points  Huon Hooke

"The palate is rich and full, with loads of detail and nuance, heaps of interest" 
Huon Hooke

"Primarily clone MV6 planted in 1976; 20% whole bunch, matured in Troncais hogheads (25% new) for 10 months. Bright colour; the bouquet fragrant to the point of perfumed: violets, rose petals, earth and forest floor, dark cherry/ berry at the core; long, lingering savoury finish, drink to 2039." 97 points - James Halliday - The Weekend Australian

"Medium red colour with tints of purple and black, the bouquet char-oaky, smoky, stemmy and bunchy, and more appealing than that may sound. The palate is rich and full, with loads of detail and nuance, heaps of interest, the palate full and rich, round and very fruit-sweet at the core, with Campari, balsamic herbs—the full whole-bunch deal. Long finish, too. A satisfying pinot. Good value, too." 96 points- Huon Hooke - The Real Review
Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019 is $56.95 - Buy Now
Whispering Angel Rosè 2020

"The results are truly staggering. It appeals from the moment it is poured into your glass...'' Matthew Jukes

"Deliciously creamy and smooth. Drink and enjoy."  
James Suckling

"The wine is ripe, full of strawberry flavors and crisp acidity. A tangy, zesty texture brings in citrus and a touch of minerality. This is an immediately attractive wine to drink now."  Wine Enthusiast Magazine 

 "Very pale apricot-pink color. Delicate aromas of sliced apple, pink grapefruit, peach, cream and stones follow through to a medium body and crisp acidity. Deliciously creamy and smooth. Drink and enjoy."  James Suckling
Whispering Angel Provence Rose 2020 is $38.99 -Buy Now
SUPER REDS HALF BOTTLE 6-PACK
This Reds Half Bottle 6-Pack contains one bottle each of the following wine

Yabby Lake Red Claw Pinot Noir 2019 

Heathcote Estate Single Vineyard Shiraz 2016
Salomon Estate Finniss River Shiraz 2016 
Cascina Chicco Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2019 

Chateau Teyssier Saint Émilion Grand Cru 2018
Moss Wood Amy’s 2019 

 
Super Reds Half Bottle 6-Pack is $127.99 - Buy Now
SUPER WHITES HALF BOTTLE 6-PACK
This Super Whites Half Bottle 6-Pack contains one bottle each of the following wine:

Red Claw Pinot Gris 2018

Pascal Revedy Sancerre 2020 
Pierrick Laroche Chablis 2019 
Red Claw Chardonnay 2019  
Brokenwood Semillon 2021 
Dandelion Eden Valley Riesling 2021 
 
Super White Half Bottle 6-Pack is $115.99 - Buy Now
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2021

"Delicious right out of the gate, this medium-bodied and refreshing wine will age well too."  Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

"Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/ Campari character too."  Gary Walsh, WineFront

"A very bright, light–medium crimson red.  A gentle waft of fresh raspberries and cranberries, with just the right amount of spice-rack spices.  Delicious right out of the gate, this medium-bodied and refreshing wine will age well too.  The perfect introduction to modern Yarra pinot."  96pts, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion

"Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/Campari character too. It’s slightly sappy, red cherry and spiced strawberry, again that blood orange flavour and some savoury ‘autumnal’ character. Tannin has light emery grip, and the finish is juicy/sweet/sour and slightly bitter, offering solid length. Good drink. Better again with a little more time in bottle."  93pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront

Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2021 is $34.90 - Buy Now
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2021

"Flavour, crunch, gloss, and all up a Chardonnay of fine balance and appeal"   Gary Walsh, WineFront
 
2021 was a terrific vintage for both vineyard quality and quantity, a wet spring followed by a healthy amount of sunshine and some well timed rain in January, leading to large green healthy canopies.  The overall temperature during the growing season was lower than average which led to a long slow ripening period and great concentration of flavours and natural acidity.

"A blend of Sexton, Tarraford, Applejack, Primavera and Wombat Creek vineyards. 15% new oak (puncheons). About 10% malo.  Flavour, crunch, gloss, and all up a Chardonnay of fine balance and appeal. White peach, almond, a little fennel and lime, fine acidity, flinty texture, a cool cucumber thing happening, and clean, with a well-defined finish of excellent length. Very good in 2021."  94pts, Gary Walsh, WineFront
Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay is $34.90 Buy Now
Sutton Grange Estate Syrah 2018
Best Shiraz
 Best Red of Show
Best Small Producer

Sydney Royal Wine Show 2021
"Hand-picked in small batches from the best sections of the vineyard, fermented separately, building a wine with 15% whole bunch, 85% whole berry. Open-fermented, with an average of 9 days on skins, matured for 18 months in French oak (25% new). It's medium-bodied, but offers a multiplicity of flavours, texture and structure; the fruit ripened a point, filling the mouth and very long palate. (97)"  James Halliday, Wine Companion

I visited Sutton Grange around this time last year, which seems like a lifetime ago, and tasted through the wines with winemaker Melanie Chester. Just before I tasted this wine, which is now current, my notes say: “Melanie is on to every single thing in every single wine”. She spoke at length on every wine, noting every pro, every con. She’s a revelation. Sutton Grange got very lucky the day she walked through the door.

I’m tasting this wine again today but my first words from that tasting last year were: “Oh boy the fruit is to die for. Blue fruits and woodsy spice, maybe some twigs, a solid serve of spice. Florals abound.” It’s hugely expressive on the nose, some of which smells of swish new oak, but the palate is where it really comes alive. It’s a boysenberried shiraz and vibrant with it, its fruitiness inherently fresh, its woodsy spice notes tucked neatly within. It’s absolutely up and about; it’s ready to rip right now, satiny texture and all.  Campbell Mattinson.  The Winefront.
Sutton Grange Estate Syrah 2018 is $54.99 - Buy Now

The Cracking Collector 6-Pack

Buy the Cracking Collector 6-Pack and you'll receive one each of the following wines:

Collector Marked Tree Red Shiraz 2018 - 95pts Winepilot, 92pts Wine Companion
Collector Lamp Lit Marsanne 2018 - New vintage!
Collector Rose Red City Sangiovese 2017 - 95pts Winepilot
Collector Tiger Tiger Chardonnay 2021  - released this week!
Collector Reserve Shiraz 2014 - 96pts James Halliday
Collector Shoreline Rose 2021 - released this week!

The Cracking Collector 6-Pack is $189.99 - Buy Now
Aged Bordeaux Blend rated 100 points!
Craggy Range Sophia 2013
Raymond Chan 20/20 points!
"This 'Sophia' has remarkable vitality and life, with vibrant primary fruit, great richness and structure. It will age 15+ years."  Raymond Chan, 2015

Bob Campbell MW 98 points!
"Lifted aroma with pronounced plum and floral characters. A complex array of flavours on the palate including plum, dark berry, chocolate, spice and a hint of violet. Gorgeous wine with plenty of weight, a silken texture and real energy. Will be very long-lived."  Bob Campbell, 2015

Huon Hooke 96 points!
"Deep red colour with a strong purple tint. The bouquet is big on dried herbs and blackcurrant, reminding more of Cabernet than Merlot perhaps. The palate lush in blackberry, cassis fruit and soft, fine-grained tannins. The fruit ripeness is spot-on. A very stylish, polished red blend of superb balance and refinement."  Huon Hooke, 2015

Wine Front 95+ points!
"A fine-grained wine. It's as if it's been deep-etched with a fine tip. It's powerfully built, minerally, chocolatey, sliced with gravel and blackcurrant, and lifted by a variety of florals. A rumble of tannin leads the flavours into the future. A long termer, without question."  Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front 2015
Craggy Range Sophia 2013 is $124.99 - Buy Now
San Marzano Edda Bianco 2020

Absolute Best Italian White Wine
 Luca Maroni - Annuario Italiani Awards 2021

99 Points
Luca Maroni - Annuario Italiani Awards 2021

Old school Chardonnay lovers, here is your drink. This is a blend of  80% Chardonnay, 15% Moscatello Selvatico, 5% Fiano.  It spent 4 months in oak, which is just enough to give it that old world charm without the harshness so many producers released in the 80's.  This unqiue blend also has unique fully-ripened peach and floral aromatics, which are interwoven with delightful hints of freshly squeezed lime, mint and herbal complexity. Beautifully balanced, the rounded palate is beautifully styled and will be enjoyed by many chardonnay drinkers.
San Marzano Edda Bianco 2020 is $33.99 - Buy Now
Mulline Pinot Gris 2021 
#1 Pinot Gris Victoria 2021 

(The Real Review)
 
"Absolutely delightful, textural, medium weight white-ish wine with lots of pear drop, pear skin, fennel herbal-savouriness, a touch of radish/kohlrabi too. Excellent, faintly powdery texture, bright acidity in its midst. Persistent, savoury, shapely and serious white wine expression." Mike Bennie.  The Wine Front.

"A pale onion-skin-gold with a hint of salmon-pink at rim. Golden apples, honeysuckle, and glazed pastry aromatics. An intense wine with autumnal fruits and savoury biscuit notes throughout. A fuller style that carries that sense of presence all the way to a long finish." Stuart Knox (The Real Review) #1 of 17 Pinot Gris Victoria 2021 (as of Dec 2021).
Mulline Pinot Gris 2021 is 31.99 - Buy Now
Tamellini Soave 2020

"So charming, and lovely to drink." Gary Walsh.  The Winefront.

"I often wonder why Soave is not more popular in Australia. Good examples make such a lovely fresh drink. This one is 100% Gargamel and goes well with char-grilled Smurf. Importer: Sante

Lightly floral, almond, green pear and white peach, lemon rind, but all kind of low key in a pleasing classic dry white way. It has a fine chalky texture, slightly glossy too, but crisp, more to yellow fruit on a pretty long finish. So charming, and lovely to drink."  92 Points.  Gary Walsh.  The Winefront.

One of our favourite white wines from Italy is Soave, grown in northeastern Italy. It's fair enough to say Soave wines are better than ever and it's generally accepted that Soave producers are now making some of the best white wines in Italy. This wine from Tamellini is a very good example of Soave. Beautiful varietal notes of apricots, honey and wild flowers come together on a mid-weight frame, showing lovely clarity and a focused, energetic finish.
Tamellini Soave 2020 is $27.95 - Buy Now

John Duval Wines Eligo Shiraz 2018

"It’s a super vintage of Eligo with twenty years plus ahead of it."  Angus Hughson

"I’d buy this any day over Grange, per se."  Mike Bennie

"Is this the beginning of a long term trend towards Eden Valley for Eligo? Only time will tell. Traditionally the Barossa Valley has been the heart of this wine but in 2018 it only accounts for 30% thanks to the quality of the vintage in the higher Barossan Eden vineyards. It has certainly in this case helped to create a masterpiece. Opaque ruby, it ripples with blackberry, roasted meat, gravy and soy sauce aromas well framed by exceptional quality oak. The palate is a powerhouse of ripe, dark and plush fruits that are forceful, but not overbearing. That fruit sits over a bed of mouthcoating tannins and quite vibrant acidity while retaining a silky mouthful. Structure helps to tighten up the palate keeping focus as layers of Bay leaf and spice come into the frame on a long, seamless finish marked by pin point balance. It’s a super vintage of Eligo with twenty years plus ahead of it." Rating: 97 points.  Angus Hughson.
John Duval Wines Eligo Shiraz 2018 is $115- Buy Now
THE CHEAPEST SPARKLING IN THIS YEAR'S TOP 100

Pirie Sparkling Non-Vintage

92 Points.  James Halliday, Top 100 Wines 2021

"Tasmania gets the wine off to a flying start with hand-picked chardonnay and pinot noir. The persistent bead introduces aromas of citrus, Granny Smith apple and brioche/toast, the long palate driven by vibrant, minerally acidity complexed by nuances of spice and nougat. The base wine ex ’18, 10% of museum material, and spent 2 years on lees pre-disgorgement.”  92 Points & Top 100 Wines of 2021 James Halliday
Pirie Sparkling Non-Vintage is $29 - Buy Now

Pizzini Pietra Rossa Sangiovese 2019

"Love a Sangiovese? Wrap your lips around this. Happiness comes in spades."  Steve Leszczynski

"a quite stylish and elegant, typical varietal sangiovese" Huon Hooke

"This Sangiovese is both fresh and structured"  Campbell Mattinson
"This comes from three of the best sites at Pizzini. It is surprisingly rich but retains the essential character and style of sangiovese. Dried herbs, raspberry and a deep juicy plum influence adding some palate texture. It’s medium bodied with fine chalky tannins and a lick of oak for good measure. Medium weight and good for at least 12 years." Ray Jordan

Love a Sangiovese? Wrap your lips around this. Happiness comes in spades. Softly spiced, it is a wonderful conversational wine as the light fades on the day. Highlighted by dried herbs, dark cherries and red plum fruit, the acid has some life and crunch but it's not brash. A suggestion if wallet leather lurks in the background. All elements are well managed to deliver a wine that is in the zone. Drink to five years+  http://www.qwinereviews.com/

More importantly the wine in the bottle is good too. This Sangiovese is both fresh and structured, it’s cherry-plum flavours complemented perfectly by notes of fresh tobacco, leather and woodsy spice notes. Lively acidity keeps the light- to medium-weight palate jumping. I particularly like the tannin here; it doesn’t get in the way but it has a bit of chew to it, always a good thing. Authentic Sangiovese, for want of a better phrase.  Rating: 92 Points. Campbell Mattinson


"Medium to full red colour with a rim of purple, the bouquet ripe and attractive with spice, dried-cherry and vanilla aromas, some dried mushroom too. Lean, dry and savoury in the mouth, a quite stylish and elegant, typical varietal sangiovese"  Huon Hooke
Pizzini Pietra Rossa Sangiovese 2019 is $26.50 - Buy Now
OUR FRENCH ROSE 6-PACK FOR THE SUMMER!

Our best selling 6-pack just got better!
French Rose 6-Pack is $133 - Buy Now
Tim Adams Pinot Gris 2021
Light straw-yellow colour. Fresh pears and lime-juice aromas. A solid core of bright fruit and a good crunch of acidity to balance it. Good length and drive to the finish.  #2 of 24 2021 Pinot Gris from Mount Lofty Ranges.  The Real Review.

Rather than removing the naturally occurring colour from Pinot Gris, as a true expression of varietal character Tim Adams chooses to retain it in this wine. The resultant rose-gold hue complements the lifted opulent pear, lychee and white peach aromas and flavours.
Tim Adams Pinot Gris 2021 is $18.90 - Buy Now
Turkey Flat Rose 2021

Trophy – Best Rose of Show
Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2021

Trophy – Best Rose of Show
Barossa Valley Wine Show 2021

97 Points - Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2021
96 Points - Barossa Valley Wine Show 2021
95 Points - QWine reviews
94 Points - Gary Walsh

“Super classy....A simply glorious wine..." QWine reviews

" Outstanding.”  Gary Walsh, Winefront

Hi Folks, today we have one of the best Rose offers you'll receive all year.  It's the Turkey Flat Rose 2021.   There is no other Rose in Australia like this.  No other rose this year has won this many trophies, received such high scores and been described so well.  Simply, it's the Australian Rose of the Year!

With such glowing reviews, there is no way I'm not going highlight them, take a read and tell me you're not interested this this wine:
"Super classy. This sits atop the Barossa Rosé podium. So sexy on the eye, gorgeous perfume diffuse from the glass with absolute ease. A belter for 25 bucks! A glorious creaminess floods the mouth on the back of red fruits and berries which do nothing but charm. Fine spices sizzle and reach long with a crunchy factor on close. Gallons of pleasure awaits. A simply glorious wine made from that equally glorious variety – Grenache.” 95 Points. QWine reviews.

"
Pale but bright pink colour. There’s a little spicy, flinty, gently smoky funk over redcurrant and white cherry. Fresh and lively, just enough flavour, tight and focussed with superb fine chalky grip and engaging texture. Pink grapefruit too. And the finish is excellent, offering mouth-watering crunch, juiciness and tweak of tannin. Outstanding."  94 Points.  Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
Turkey Flat is an outstanding and important producer.  It's one of the original wineries in Australia, founded about 174 years ago.  But what I really like?  They are in full flight.  Their wines have never been better.  Their Grenache, their Shiraz are at the very top in Australia in terms of quality.  But let's talk about this Rose.   Too often these days I'm left scratching my head wondering why so many wineries can't make beautiful Rose?   This Rose should serve as a wake-up call to those who simply make boring rose.   This has everything going for it plus a keen price of $21.99, which screams value.  Two trophies, high points, great reviews: Australia's best rose of 2021?  I think so.
 
Turkey Flat Rose 2021 is $21.99 - Buy Now
Fraser Gallop Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
 
 
 96 Points & Gold Decanter World Wine Awards 2021
96 Points & Special Value Wine Erin Larkin
95 Points & 5 Stars Huon Hooke
95 Points Gary Walsh
 
"What a gloriously seamless wine, continuing the proud legacy of Parterre”
Erin Larkin for Halliday’s Wine Companion

 
"an excellent wine.”
Gary Walsh
 

“Blackberry and boysenberry, sage and mint, fetching floral perfume, baking spice and vanilla custard oak. It’s medium-bodied with pleasing density of fruit, plenty of fine grained graphite tannin, cool acidity, so svelte and composed, with a long pencilly finish. Needs a little more time for the oak to integrate, but the feel of it, its balance and shape, mark it out as an excellent wine.”95 Points Gary Walsh. Winefront.

“Aromas of mulberry, brambles, dried herbs, black olives and lead pencil. Mid-weighted and layered flavours of blackcurrants, cedar, spice and integrated, creamy oak. Long, complex and layered, the tannins offer up plenty of grip and structure and build the palate nicely. Fruit-depth and concentration is first-rate as is the length of flavour”  95 Points & 5 Stars. Huon Hooke

"Assured and poised, with hints of truffle within the spiced dark fruits and brambly berries. The tannins are fine and the oak spice wonderfully integrated, while the long finish is pretty much perfect.”  96 Points & Gold.  Decanter World Wine Awards 2021

 “86/6/4/3/1% cabernet sauvignon/petit verdot/malbec/merlot/cabernet franc. Reaching heights of near perfection, ’18 was a vintage responsible for wines just like this. Supple intensity, concentration of flavour without a gram of weight, the length of flavour possessed only by very healthy, perfectly ripe and balanced grapes. What a gloriously seamless wine, continuing the proud legacy of Parterre.”  96 Points & Special Value. Wine Erin Larkin for Halliday’s Wine Companion

 
Fraser Gallop Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is $39.95 - Buy Now

148 Browns Road Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2020

 
Single Vinyeard, Estate Grown & family owned.  Do not be fooled by the price.

It's soft and supple with lovely texture. There's gentle oak framing red berry fruits, finishing with zippy acidity and generous length. It's clean, fresh and very more-ish. And at $13.95, it certainly delivers in spades!  Have a great Sunday and be sure to back up the you know what...you can buy this with confidence.
148 Browns Road Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2020 is $13.95 - Buy Now
Here it is, our very popular Aussie Oaked Chardonnay 6-Pack, updated with a mixture of new chardonnays together with annual favourites.  This is a 6-pack for Chardonnay drinkers containing chardonnays people want to drink, not the unoaked, "natural" wines that stuffy sommeliers offer at restaurants.  For me, each wine in this 6-pack has everything a chardonnay should have - they all ooze creaminess that smooths the middle palate; have an oak influence that while present, doesn't overpower and displays a fresh dose of fruit that makes you think this is a chardonnay, but a darn good one.

Furthermore, this 6-pack explores regions and styles and is a great introduction the wonderful world of oaked chardonnay.  This 6-pack contains the following wines:

Mount Macleod Gippsland Chardonnay 2021
Trevelen Farm Great Southern Chardonnay 2021
Beechworth Estates Chardonnay 2019
Bellvale Gippsland Chardonnay 2019
La Curio Suffragette McLaren Vale Chardonnay 2021
Castelli The Sum Great Southern Chardonnay 2021
The Aussie Oaked Chardonnay 6-Pack is $132 - Buy Now
Trophy - Best Riesling
2021 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards.

"Classic Eden stuff here" Gary Walsh
"This is quite the classic release"  Angus Hughson

"This is a pristine varietal wine that shows the classic floral/lime aromas of Eden Valley. It’s a dry nstyle that’s crammed with flavour and built on a long acid line. Delightful drinking now, but will cellar. ($25.00) ★★★★★"  2021 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards.

"Classic Eden stuff here. Lemon/lime, flowers, stony things. It’s tight, pure-feeling, has crunch and gentle chalky grip, and a long zesty finish with slightly juicy citrus flavours. In short, it’s very good. Tasted: July 2021; Alcohol: 12.5%; Price: $25; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2021-2034+; Rated: 94 Points; Gary Walsh. The Wine Front

"The 2021 Eden Valley vintage rolls on and it is fantastic to see a return to form to the finer riesling style that Eden Valley does so well. This is quite the classic release – its seems at first a picture of restraint but then that understated power unfurls to whack you between the eyes. Super pale in colour before roses lime, pear and bath salt aromas – all tight and focussed. The palate then carries quite a punch – a powerful core of stony, citrus fruits plus fresh yet silky acidity which drives a long and thirst-quenching finish. Delicious and ready to drink now but will sing for a while yet."  Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
Jules IGP d’Oc Rosé 2019

"So smashable and nice to drink."
Gary Walsh, Winefront

A first rate introduction to French rosé. Made and priced to over-deliver. From a riper vintage, this release is a little more fruit forward than usual, and that’s no bad thing. Full in the mouth and with an extra layer of juicy zestiness, classic strawberries and cream with a drop of mandarin juice, and a bittering, complexing finish.

"Textbook pale dry rosé. It’s got crunch, red currant, tangerine, fennel and herb, a little chalky texture, a minor amount of sweetness, and good finish. So smashable and nice to drink.”  91 points, Gary Walsh, Winefront

 
Jules IGP d’Oc Rosé 2019 is $16.99 - Buy Now
RANKED #2 of 22
2019 Nebbiolo from Australia

The Real Review


"It’s super impressive and also has the structure to drink well over the medium term."
Angus Hughson (Wine Pilot)

"I’m quite fussy about Nebbiolo, and I love this wine"
Gary Walsh (The Winefront)

"Frisky and fresh, almost into an alpine Nebbiolo style here, which I like. It’s fragrant, rosy, flowering basil/aniseed thing, cherry, red fruits and almond. Medium-bodied, crisp, fresh acidity, energetic and vibrant style, a little sweet spice in the mix, and maybe liquorice, light dusty almost peppery feel to tannin, and plenty of bright sweet cherry on a long cool finish. Delightful, beautifully made too, and not trying too hard. Absolutely worthy, classic and fine-boned Nebbiolo of character and interest. Likely more to come, too. Recommended."  Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

"Light ruby-red colour with a crystalline brightness. Cherry and rosemary flower aromatics. Deep cherry fruits open the palate, then it rolls into a savoury-earth and mountain herb complexity. It flows long and deep with a weight and drive that is balanced to a slippery tannin structure. A very good example of local nebbiolo"  Stuart Knox. RANKED #2 of 22.  2019 Nebbiolo from Australia. The Real Review
Longview Saturnus Nebbiolo 2019 is $39.99 - Buy Now

Pitchfork Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2018

 "A very appealing, fruit-driven young cabernet at a great price" The Real Review - Huon Hooke

"Outstanding, dazzling, stellar value for money. Don't walk past it"  Rating: 92 Points. Erin Larkin


"Sourced from several vineyards within Wilyabrup. The brilliant 2018 vintage has produced this juicy, spicy and bouncy little number. Outstanding, dazzling, stellar value for money. Don't walk past it."  Rating: 92 Points.  Erin Larkin. James Halliday Wine Companion

"Medium to deep red colour with a tint of purple. The aromas are flowers and violets, cassis and blueberry, a suggestion of leafiness, the palate bright and fresh with lively mouth-feel and great vitality. The fruit is rich, ripe and sweet in the middle,  possibly due in part to a touch of residual sugar. It has intensity and persistence. The tannins are fine but assertive. The finish is very refreshing. A very appealing, fruit-driven young cabernet at a great price." The Real Review - Huon Hooke.

Pitchfork Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2018 is $14.95 - Buy Now

Tahbilk '1927 Vines" Marsanne 2014

"Moreish and mouth-watering...so delicious"  Mike Bennie 

“A benchmark, of course, here from 2014. Matured gracefully. Tart and tangy acidity is a strong feature, so too the soft, mellow like texture around it. Lemon balm and curd, green apple, grapefruit pulp and a general sense of talc-chalk minerally character. Moreish and mouth-watering here, fresh yet in an early stage of maturity. So delicious. 94 Points” Mike Bennie.  www.winefront.com.au

"Stylistically akin to the best Hunter Semillon, this Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2014 is a fascinating piece.  Sourced from a patch of Marsanne vines that dates back to 1927 (who knew!) it’s even built in a Hunter Semillon mode – early picked fruit, cool fermentation, released with some bottle age. The Tahbilk soil types are sandy loams too – it’s all meant to be.

At six years old, this is just entering its peak drinking window. Waxy, lanolin edged palate combines understated, gently honey edges, with pithy, grapefruit and apple through the middle, the finish lightly toasty and gently powerful. That last part is important – it’s much firmer, deeper and more powerful than you realise, almost chewy. That whisper of Marsanne honeysuckle is the counterpoint to the acidity too. It all adds up to pleasure and charisma that will be delivered for decades. I’m a big fan.

Best drinking: honestly I’d wait until early next year and then drink over the next ten years plus. 18.5/20, 94/100. 11%, $46.30. Tahbilk website. Would I buy it? Yes. A bargain given the easy cellarability."  Andrew Graham.  Oz Wine Review

“Light yellow colour, with a herbal, wet cement, straw-like, dried lemon-peel bouquet that is youthful for its years and yet to develop much toastiness. A hint of fresh quince. The palate is delicate, refined and intense, tightly wound and yet smooth and soft, with balanced acidity and lovely flavour, not austere as these wines can be but possessing plenty of drinkability. In typical form, it’s very like a middle-aged Hunter Semillon in the traditional early-picked style.” Huon Hooke. The Real Review 
Tahbilk '1927 Vines" Marsanne 2014 is $39.99 -Buy Now
Tellurian Pastiche Shiraz 2019

Trophy - Best Shiraz - Heathcote Wine Show 2020
Trophy - Best Young Shiraz - Heathcote Wine Show 2020
Trophy - Best Single Vineyard Wine - Heathcote Wine Show 2020

In addition to winning 3 trophies at the recent Heathcote Wine Show, what I also really like about this wine is its pedigree.  Tellurian are a family owned, certified organic vineyard & winery, intent on crafting solely 100% Heathcote wines.  They have previously won Best Shiraz at the Heathcote Wine Show for their Redline Shiraz.  They also like to keep their prices in check, you don't need to pay $100 a bottle like some more established Heathcote producers from the region will ask you for. 

We'll avoid advertising the likes of whom this wine out-performed in order to receive these awards (I've received feedback they don't like this published), however we will talk about price because it's rare to see a Heathcote shiraz priced under $30.  This Tellurian Pastiche Shiraz is excellent value and we all like value.

"Yet another classy red from Tellurian. The plum, mulberry and spice characteristics have considerable appeal, as do the savoury tannins."

Those words above are from a Winewise Magazine tasting and they're spot on.   This is a richer style of wine, just like Heathcote is famous for and Cloudwine "best in Australia" price of $26.99 means you can stock up. 
Tellurian Pastiche Shiraz 2019 is $26.99 - Buy Now
EUROPEAN WINE - THE LARGEST COLLECTION IN AUSTRALIA?

Here's an interesting fact you may not know about, Cloudwine has a sister store located behind our store in South Melbourne called European Wine Store.  Not only is it Australia's only store that sells European wine exclusively, but with around 1000 wines, it also has one of the largest selection of European wines in Australia.   We're pleased to announce it has a new website, check it out here: europeanwinestore.com.au
 
Click here to see our mixed Dozens ready to post.
We have a European Wine Store! Click here to visit.
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