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Wine Heroes

This page is dedicated to our wine heroes – the wines, winery, winemakers that have shaped our vinous journey over the past 20 years.
We followed, bought and collected all the wines that feature on this page for many years and their quality vintage upon vintage is without question.
In short, these are the wines we drink, and we hope you will love them as much as we do.

Wine Heroes

This page is dedicated to our wine heroes – the wines, winery, winemakers that have shaped our vinous journey over the past 20 years.
We followed, bought and collected all the wines that feature on this page for many years and their quality vintage upon vintage is without question.
In short, these are the wines we drink, and we hope you will love them as much as we do.

Showing 1–15 of 164 results

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  • 2019 Kydonitsa, Monemvasia Winery TsimbidiWhite Wine

    2019 Kydonitsa, Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi

    £1350

    Kydonitsa is Greek for quince and this wine is true to its name showing ripe quince and elegant aromas of tropical fruits. Creamy and full flavoured on the palate with a mouthwatering freshness and a long aromatic and sweetly spiced finish. Perfect with seafood, especially fresh lobster or grilled fish.

    Kydonitsa ( pronounced Ki-do-NI-tsa) is a rare, old local variety and one of the components of the legendary wine Malvasia. The vineyard is located on the peninsula of Maleus at the foothills of the Parnonas Mountain range at an altitude of 80 metres above sea level. Surrounded by the Myrtoo Sea to the North West and by the Laconian Gulf to the South West, the vineyard is influenced by a Mediterranean climate with high sunshine hours and coastal sea breezes. The soils are clay loam and rich in minerals. All these factors contribute in creating a unique terroir and the climatic conditions present an ideal environment for healthy vines, which are cultivated with minimal intervention.

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  • 2017 The Custodian Grenache, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2017 The Custodian Grenache, d’Arenberg

    £1550

    A beautiful crimson-purple, edging toward a purple hue. On the nose, we find tomato leaves, violets and red fruits. It’s medium-bodied with more of those red fruits, pomegranate, and rhubarb. A little on the ripe side, with some green edges. There’s some lovely, beautiful crisp acidity. A gloriously dry finish. Velvety tannins envelop the wine. Light easy-drinking in its youth. With time, this wine will become a showstopper.

    The Name:  During the vine pull scheme in the 1980s, d’Arry Osborn refused to remove his old grenache vineyards. Today d’Arenberg is the keeper of nearly one-third of McLaren Vale’s old bush vine grenache, earning the title of ‘Custodian’ of the variety.

     

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  • 2020 The Broken Fishplate Sauvignon Blanc, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 The Broken Fishplate Sauvignon Blanc, d’Arenberg

    £1595

    A flashy sauvignon blanc offering lashings of tropicals such as passionfruit and gooseberry on the highly aromatic nose, boosted by an undercurrent of fresh cut grass and asparagus. The palate is refreshingly crisp and mineral. Vibrant citrus-like acid is a real feature. But this is accompanied by the generosity in flavour and a hint of added texture through some very light-handed oak treatment and a small dose of wild ferment. Balanced and long, served chilled this wine will hit the spot on a warm, sunny day.

    Despite being a good match for fish, the name has nothing to do with them! A fishplate is a term for the nylon plates that collect grape bunches on a harvester and often break when navigating around the steep, windy vineyards.

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  • 2018 The Love Grass Shiraz, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2018 The Love Grass Shiraz, d’Arenberg

    £1595

    The Love Grass 2020 is a Shiraz straight from the d’Arenberg playbook. As a young wine when first opened, it may appear closed, dark and brooding. Tar, earth and black liquorice. Air and time both help to massage out the abundant sweet fruits, blackberry and plum with an undertone of fennel and spice. In a similar way, the palate starts quite muscular and tight but over time relaxes into a more generous juicy wine. As the juicy fruit evolves the initially rustic tannins start to settle into it like sinking into a plush armchair. The strong earth characters are a nod to the organic and biodynamic principles adopted in the vineyard. The character of the fruit is gently supported, rather than dominated, by savoury old oak barrels. All in all, this is a structural wine that over-delivers at the price point and will certainly benefit from decanting whilst rewarding those with the patience to cellar it well for 5 to 10 years

    Lovegrass is a weed that grows in the vineyards and its sticky flowers affectionately attach themselves to vineyard workers’ socks. This Shiraz will linger with you in the same way that the flowers do!

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  • 2020 Faith Shiraz, St HallettRed Wine

    2020 Faith Shiraz, St Hallett

    £1600

    Faith Shiraz has become a contemporary classic and a crowd favourite since its first vintage in 1994.  This 2020 is on form and a beautiful Barossa Valley Shiraz that delivers on every level and has that wonderful quality that as soon as you have finished the first sip you are reaching for another! Aromas of vibrant dark cherry and raspberry with underlying spice and chocolate fill the nose and these red fruits carry through to the palate with a generous juicy opening. This flows into textural territory with smooth, subtle tannins and lingering spice providing a long finish. The Shiraz was aged in French and American oak barrels for 16 months.

    Delicious!
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  • 2018 Footbolt Shiraz, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2018 Footbolt Shiraz, d’Arenberg

    £1650

    This delicious highly regarded shiraz is named after Footbolt, the prize racehorse of Joseph Osborn.  In 1912 Joseph sold his beloved horses to purchase the d’Arenberg property and so the wine making story began.

    In the glass, this 2018 Shiraz has a lifted, aromatic nose with luscious plum and red berry aromas. The palate is soft and cuddly and concludes with some firm tannin and acidity.  There are flavours of mulberry, pomegranate, dried herbs and earth, with a finish that is a little wild and rustic.

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  • 2019 Footbolt Shiraz, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2019 Footbolt Shiraz, d’Arenberg

    £1650

    This delicious highly regarded shiraz is named after Footbolt, the prize racehorse of Joseph Osborn.  In 1912 Joseph sold his beloved horses to purchase the d’Arenberg property and so the wine making story began.

    In the glass, this 2018 Shiraz has a lifted, aromatic nose with luscious plum and red berry aromas. The palate is soft and cuddly and concludes with some firm tannin and acidity.  There are flavours of mulberry, pomegranate, dried herbs and earth, with a finish that is a little wild and rustic.

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  • 2021 The Money Spider Organic Roussanne, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 The Money Spider Organic Roussanne, d’Arenberg

    £1695

    There’s a real ‘standing in a field during spring’ vibe to this wine. Lots of golden sunshine, cut-straw, and yellow peach flavours. It’s round, and generous, with substantial palate weight and mouthfeel. It’s rich, toasty, and opulent.

    The name of the wine originates from the fact that the first crop of Roussanne from the 2000 vintage was covered in tiny ‘Money Spiders’. Popular belief is that kindness to these creatures will bring good luck, so Chester refrained from sending the spiders to their death. By the next year, the Money Spiders had relocated, making the first release of this wine in 2001.

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  • 2018 Minervois Cuvee Selection, Domaine La RouvioleRed Wine

    2018 Minervois Cuvee Selection, Domaine La Rouviole

    £1750

    La Rouviole is located in the renowned Cru La Livinière area of Minervois.  Wines are made from blends of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan from the best and oldest plots of the estate. 

    This Cuvee selection is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. It is a full-flavoured and perfumed wine showing notes of ripe cassis with elegant cedar and chocolate notes and a fine, velvety texture.

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  • 2022 ‘Origin’ Sauvignon Blanc, Saint Clair Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2022 ‘Origin’ Sauvignon Blanc, Saint Clair

    £1795

    Tropical aromas of passionfruit, guava and blackcurrant combine with nettle and subtle chalky mineral notes. The rich, full palate with grapefruit and blackcurrant leaf is enveloped in green notes of nettle and pepper and a delicate sea salt character, through to a long, mineral finish.

    The grapes was sourced from a selection of vineyards located predominantly in the lower Wairau sub-region. This is what Saint Clair regards as Marlborough’s best subregion for Sauvignon Blanc, producing wines with heightened expression. These vineyards sit on alluvial, silt soils. Each vineyard block was harvested when it reached maximum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness.

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  • 2020 Butchers Cart Shiraz, St HallettRed Wine

    2020 Butchers Cart Shiraz, St Hallett

    £1950

    The Butcher’s Cart harks back to a time when the Lindner family, founders of the great St Hallett’s estate, were family butchers and horse and cart was the norm to get about. Much has changed in the Barossa since then, but there is the same meticulous care now performed in the jewel-like vineyards and immaculate cellar. This fabulous dark, spicy Shiraz uses grapes from a selection of vineyards, all planted on the red-brown earth, which tends to produce a rich, generous wine. Each parcel is fermented separately, with a pump over six times a day to extract rich flavour and tannins. Ageing for 10 months in 20% new oak puts the finishing touches to this rich, unctuous red.

    Aroma: Dark ripe blackberry and raspberry, with liquorice and nutmeg spice

    The Palate: Luscious, velvety – black cherry, plum, dark chocolate, firm tannins

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  • 2022 Cruel Mistress Pinot Noir, Larry Cherubino Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2022 Cruel Mistress Pinot Noir, Larry Cherubino

    £1995

    This gorgeous Pinot Noir from Larry Cherubino is made with fruit from the Great Southern region of Western Australia.   The nose shows graphite and minerals, juicy black cherries with a hint of spicy oak plays a supporting role.  The palate is softly textured, fresh and vibrant, the flavours of black cherry and earthy beetroot carried along by a fine acid finish.

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  • 2012 Fiano, Chalmers Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2012 Fiano, Chalmers

    £1995

    The high acid, bold flavoured Campanian grape Fiano has really found it’s second home in Australia, especially in Heathcote where it regularly outshines the red grapes on the same site in a traditional red-wine growing region. Chalmers have a museum of Fiano wines dating back over a decade with even the older wines still singing. The 2012 Chalmers Fiano is no exception, melding delicate stone fruits and almond blossom with savoury lees contact characters and minerality, displaying texture and power in the mouth whilst retaining a fine, fresh finish.

    Chalmers Fiano is whole bunch pressed and fermented on solids, 10% in old French oak barriques, 90% in stainless steel tanks without yeast addition. The temperature of fermentation is limited to 15 degrees. After fermentation is finished the wine rests on lees in tank for 6 – 9 months before being bottled.  The Fiano is then aged in bottle for a further 24 months before release allowing the wine to develop in richness and texture.

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  • 2017 The Laughing Magpie, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2017 The Laughing Magpie, d’Arenberg

    £1995

    This 2016 Shiraz/Viognier has a rather dark appearance with a vivid purple hue suggesting a complex dry red.  The nose is particularly intense, with peppery spice, hints of fragrant flower and perfume aromas, plus nectarines, apricots, ginger and herbs from the small parcel of viognier that the Shiraz is co-fermented with.  On the palate, the Shiraz is more dominant with sweeter fruit characters like blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry. The palate is rich and generous and soft silky tannins.

    The Kookaburra is a native Australian bird famous for its distinctive laughing call, Chester’s young daughters named them “Laughing Magpies”. The Magpie plumage is black with a stripe of white feathers, representing McLaren Vale’s first ever blend combining the (black) Shiraz and its white partner, Viognier.

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  • 2011 The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2011 The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne, d’Arenberg

    £1995

    The 2011 Hermit  has an Incredibly fragrant nose full of sweet apricot and gingery spice. The palate is luscious and generous but has great acid which tightens the wine, adding freshness and a clean crisp finish. Slight pithy feel which builds on the spice notes. Lovely as a fresh stand-alone drink that still exhibits some mouthfeel, or equally well adapted to enjoy with a range of foods from freshly shucked oysters through to spicy Thai style dishes.

    Many of McLaren Vale’s vineyards are on free-draining soils underlain with limestone, formed by the calcareous remains of the local marine fauna. One such creature was the Hermit Crab, a reclusive little crustacean that inhabits the cast-off shells of others. The Osborn family thought the name appropriate for this, McLaren Vale’s first-ever blend of Viognier and Marsanne. “Hermit” is also an abbreviation for the French appellation of Hermitage, where the Marsanne grape variety dominates.

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