We had heatwaves, fires everywhere and then a few solid months of rain to start the calamity that has been 2020, and still we're able to enjoy the fruits of what will certainly be a year for the books. 2020 Vintage Aussie wines are starting to hit the shelves, from WA, SA and Victoria, we've got you sorted this week, with some old favourites in new colours and flavours. It's about as good a time as any to support your local wine scene, Australian wine exports are currently taking a bath so let's on-shore our drinking and nurture the remarkably avant garde community we have. But if you really can't help yourself we're dropping some Jura unicorns this afternoon so go on...
SLACK-JAWED YOKELS
Jo Perry is the queen of WA natural wine and has been building her stable of Dormilona wines for years with a mind to organic farming, cool lofi techniques and less-is-more approach. Yokel is her foray into the Swan Valley, WA's oldest wine region. With the endangered local western swamp tortoise as her mascot, she's shining a light on this region in the best way possibly, with fun wines. Among the 2020 release there's 2 pét nats, a Grenache, a couple of skin contact whites and a rosé. Exotic varieties like Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Trebbiano which were inexplicably planted here in the 1800s are the perfect vehicles for these wines, dry, aromatic and juicy.
The team at Das Juice have really raised the bar here, with Le Juice they've managed to make a cru Beaujolais, of great pedigree, in collaboration with the young winemaker of a famous family domaine, for under $40. Anyone paying attention knows that Fleurie is hot property these days and it's pink sandy granite hills such as La Madonne, where this comes from, are hallowed ground for perfumed, mineral Gamays exemplified by titans like Jean-Louis Dutraive. Guillaume Chanudet is the winemaker in question here, whose family domaine has 9 organic hectares on some of the most famous slopes of the region. James from Lofi/Das Juice worked with Guillaume for Bill Downie in West Gippsland and they hatched the plan for him to go over to France to harvest and make this wine, which they did in the traditional method; carbonic maceration in concrete, then tank ageing with only a tiny amount of sulfur at bottling. Fans of Das Juice know their vibe, it says it on the label, no hard edges, light and fresh, juice. If you want a reference we have some of their excellent new 2020 Pet Nat also, a peachy, passionfruity fizz from Mornington Sauv Blanc with a few days on skins.
'They've managed to make a cru Beaujolais, of great pedigree, in collaboration with the young winemaker of a famous family domaine, for under $40'
A SCINTILLA OF GREATNESS
We're very happy and excited to have James Madden's 2019 scintilla wines in the shop, with a bunch of new cuvées with new labels and genius concoctions of European-tinged SA wines. James gets his fruit from a number of organic vineyards across the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, including a few parcels which he's now farming himself such as this field blend from an old garden vineyard of bush vines. The usual modus operandi is at play - low abv, super fresh wines. These things are picked early and don't sit on skins long, so that tight savoury European character comes out along with high acidity and super drinkability.
Taste the rainbow from James here, while they last.
'These things are picked early and don't sit on skins long, so that tight savoury European character comes out along with high acidity and super drinkability'
MOONS AND FOXES
As promised, we're releasing these rare protected species into the wild, so if your trigger finger is fast you may taste the much sought after wines of Philippe Bornard and Renaud Bruyère + Adeline Houillon. First wave Jura revivalists, who do things traditionally, carefully, slowly and with utmost respect for terroir and nature. These are precious gems, enjoy.
The wines will be online this afternoon.
PACK 'EM UP, SHIP 'EM OUT
We're back with online-only packs galore. This week we've got a refreshed Rainbox Skitzmix, an Orangina Pack and a Spring Fling that will see you through the isolation funk. Grab yourself one of these to enjoy discounts on selections that wouldn't normally see them. Wines that we've picked around the shop just because we like them, you'd be mad not to.
We're going all out in stage 4. We've added Tuesdays and now Sundays into the mix so now we're delivering every afternoon except Mondays. If you're within 15km of Melbourne CBD and order before 1pm you'll get the wine before dinner time FREE.
SUBSCRIBE NOW TO OUR MONTHLY PACKS!
We have from the outset prided ourselves on having the best monthly subscription wine service in the game. We take this so seriously that each and every month we convene a panel of expert wine industry folk around a cheese board at Sam's house for a tasting selection panel. No punches are pulled, frankly it's brutal. So the wines that go in our monthly packs are certified FIRE.
