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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 16 results

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  • 2021 Riesling, Skillogalee Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 Riesling, Skillogalee

    £2100

    The grapes for this dry Riesling are grown on low-yielding vines, along the contours on the highest slopes of the Skillogalee Estate at about 500 metres above sea level.

    In the glass the nose has a perfumed lift of jasmine, orange blossom spice and lemon zest. The palate is full-flavoured with excellent fruit concentration and texture. Flavours of lemon, lime zest and pith prevail, with hints of citrus spice and succulent, juicy acidity emerging thereafter. Structurally, this wine has impressive length, a lively natural acid backbone and a mouth-wateringly powerful finish.

    Drink now with fish, seafood or white meat dishes, or cellar for 5 years or more.

    With cool and dry weather, the 2021 vintage in the Clare Valley produced lovely fruit with excellent varietal character and natural acidity. The cool growing season was preceded by late-winter and early-spring rains which allowed for good spring growth on the vines. This was followed by below average rainfall and dry conditions for the remainder of the season, resulting in a vintage that produced beautiful and classic Clare wines with smaller bunches and grapes therefore reducing Riesling yield.

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  • 2018 Riesling, Skillogalee Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Riesling, Skillogalee

    £2100

    The grapes for this dry Riesling are grown on low-yielding vines, along the contours on the highest slopes of the Skillogalee Estate at about 500 metres above sea level.

    In the glass this lovely ageing Riesling has intense lime and citrus aromas that dominate the nose with green apple, orange rind and talc also chiming in. Richly textured mouthfeel with concentrated lemon and lime flavours flooding the mouth. Underlying orange rind, talc and mineral characters follow on. Finishes dry with vibrant crisp acidity and a long powerful aftertaste of lime, citrus, orange rind, talc and spice.

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  • 2020 Riesling ‘Single Vineyard McKay’s, Jim Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 Riesling ‘Single Vineyard McKay’s, Jim Barry

    £2500

    JThis Riesling was sourced from the McKay’s vineyard in Watervale. South or east-facing slopes are best suited for Riesling as they are shielded from the hot northerly winds that can occur during summer and also receive the cooler morning sun. The soil in the McKay’s vineyard is clay over limestone, which is free draining. The Clare valley climate is continental with a high diurnal temperature difference with clear skies. The cool nights lead to the preservation of crisp natural acidity and delicate flavours.

    The wine displays minerality on the nose, with characters of crunchy green apples and wet slate. A firm acid line drives through the palate with lime, citrus and a mineral finish. It has a lush silky flow and a calming finish.

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  • 2021 Laissez Faire Riesling, Larry Cherubino Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 Laissez Faire Riesling, Larry Cherubino

    £2550

    The 2021 Laissez-Faire Riesling from Larry Cherubino is a truly delicious example of Riesling wine. This is a completely dry white wine with spectacular intensity and a bouquet reminiscent of red apple and white peach with minerally notes in the background.  White stone fruit flavours are persistent on the pallet, there is a subtle texture with tight knot acidity lingering in the background which provides length and persistence.

    Laissez-Faire means “let it be” and this reflects the hands-off approach that winemaker Larry Cherubino employs.  He has learnt from organics, bio-dynamics and natural wine practices, but is not dictated by one school of thought. Larrys says ‘ We don’t subscribe to dogma. You could call them natural wines, but we like to think of them as post-natural wines.  We believe in healthy and sustainable vineyard practices and winemaking transparency with as little as possible between the vine and finished wine

    In the Laissez-Faire wines, there’s no added tannin, or acid, or animal fining products. There is zero sulfur used throughout the winemaking and only a minimal amount at bottling. They are using alternate varieties and blends to make naturally balanced wines.   From vine to bottle, the wine takes its course, hands-free.  The wines are also vegan friendly.

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  • 2013 Alea Riesling, Grosset Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2013 Alea Riesling, Grosset

    £2950

    The Alea Riesling comes from a narrow corridor of hard red rock with poor, orangey, red loam vineyard reminded Jeff of the great German rieslings that were not fully dry, he decided to take a very different approach to the creation of Alea. With moderate baumes, high acidity and low pH, the aim was to make a wine with a generous palate balanced by zippy natural acidity on the finish.

     The 2013 Grosset Alea Riesling is delightfully floral with white flowers and a whisper of lemon blossom and fresh garden herbs. There are lime juice flavours, a hint of lemon and a beautifully balanced long generous palate that leads to a gentle grip and zingy dry finish. “The Alea has come of age” says Jeff. “This vintage is a fraction drier than previous releases and is wonderfully complex while remaining delicate and perfectly balanced. We put this down to equal measures of vineyard maturity and experience.”

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  • 2007 The Contours Riesling Museum Reserve, Pewsey ValeWhite Wine

    2007 The Contours Riesling Museum Reserve, Pewsey Vale

    £2995

    Pewsey Vale Vineyard The Contours is characterised by a special site, sensitive vine growing and astute winemaking. The Contours Riesling is produced from old vines grown on the coolest slope within this ruggedly beautiful single vineyard. After 13 years in the bottle, the 2007 Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling is showing all the poise and intensity that you would expect in a great bottle-aged Riesling.

    Still pale straw with green hues. Intense classic fruit aromas of limes and lemons with fresh toast overlie the intense lime and citrus fruit. Citrus dominant, lime juice, hints of sage oil and marmalade, finishing with a crushed stone minerality. The wine is still vibrant and fresh, yet with richness and intensity from its 10 years in the bottle.

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  • 2018 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

    £3350

    The 2018 Florita is a wine of immense purity and drive that is bursting with intense aromas of lemon, lime and citrus blossom. The tightly wound palate delivers laser focussed acidity and crisp lime juice at its core and shows all the hallmarks of Florita Riesling.

    The famed Florita Vineyard is synonymous with the classic grape variety and was planted with Riesling grapes by Leo Buring in 1962. In 1986, the Barry family acquired the 32-hectare property. Florita’ is Spanish for ‘little flower’ and the first release of this micro-batch of premium Riesling was in 2004; it was the fruit of years of patience. Individual rows are selected where the terra rossa and loam soils barely cover the deep limestone below and the vines deliver a wonderful elegance. The Clare Valley climate is continental, with a high diurnal temperature difference. The cool nights allow the Riesling vines to preserve the crisp natural acidity and delicate flavours.

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  • 2021 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

    £3350

    Jim Barry’s iconic and outstanding single-vineyard Riesling, The Florita, stands tall at the top of the tree for Clare Valley Riesling.

    Located fifteen kilometres south of Clare township in the tiny village of Watervale, Florita – Spanish for ‘little flower’ – comes from a famous Riesling vineyard planted to Palamino in 1946 for making Fino Sherry but was replanted to Riesling in 1962. This was the birthplace of Leo Buring Watervale Riesling and the Florita vineyards, where legendary winemaker John Vickery sourced his grapes for his great Watervale Rieslings of the 1960s and 1970s.

    The 80-acre vineyard was bought by Mark, Peter and John Barry in 1986. First released as the ‘Florita Riesling’ in 2004 by Jim Barry Wines, this micro-batch Riesling is made from grapes hand-selected from individual rows. Its best fruit comes from vines planted in shallow loamy soils and the vineyard has good air-drainage which alleviates the risk of frost. A wine with a reputation second to none for consistency and a true benchmark wine.

    The 2021 is a simply astonishing incarnation that Riesling lovers would be remiss to not have in their cellar. Drink 2027 – 2050 +

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  • 2008 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2008 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

    £3900

    This legendary dry Riesling from Jim Barry has matured under optimum conditions and displays the complexities that fine Australian Riesling develops over time.

    The Florita Story

    This story is best told by famous Australian wine writer, Huon Hooke and head of the Barry Family, Peter Barry who below tell the wonderful story of Florita…..

    It starts in 1946, just after the war, when Leo Buring bought land at Watervale and planted Pedro ximénez for sherry – the preferred wine of Australians at the time. He named the vineyard Florita, which is Spanish for ‘little flower’ – a reference to the sherry flor (or flower), the film of yeast that covers the dry flor sherry as it matures in its ullaged casks.  Public tastes shifted, table wine became fashionable, and in 1962 Buring’s winemaker John Vickery began to remove Pedro and plant riesling. “He started to make riesling (wine), which began to be seen as the future of Australian white wine,” says Barry. Indeed, Vickery and the Leo Buring brand became almost synonymous with riesling.   “In 1986 Philip Morris (the tobacco company which owned the Leo Buring brand at the time) had six years supply of riesling in its cellars, and no-one was drinking it – chardonnay was the new fashion. They decided to sell the Florita vineyard.

    My brothers and I went to the auction. I was 24.  Mum said ‘You’re not allowed to buy it’. She said we already had plenty of vineyards. We told Dad he’d better buy it, and that would let us off the hook.
    Southcorp (the precursor of Treasury Wine Group) owned the Florita trademark at the time, and although the Barrys began using the grapes immediately, they couldn’t use the name.
    “I had to wait eight years until the registration period was up, but then Southcorp renewed it for another 10 years, so I had to wait 18 years all told, and I registered the name Florita two days after it lapsed.

    Eighteen years is a long time to wait for a drink.”

    Purchase & earn 39 points!Add to Basket
  • 2009 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2009 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

    £3900

    This legendary dry Riesling from Jim Barry has matured under optimum conditions and displays the complexities that fine Australian Riesling develops over time.

    The Florita Story

    This story is best told by famous Australian wine writer, Huon Hooke and head of the Barry Family, Peter Barry who below tell the wonderful story of Florita…..

    It starts in 1946, just after the war, when Leo Buring bought land at Watervale and planted Pedro ximénez for sherry – the preferred wine of Australians at the time. He named the vineyard Florita, which is Spanish for ‘little flower’ – a reference to the sherry flor (or flower), the film of yeast that covers the dry flor sherry as it matures in its ullaged casks.  Public tastes shifted, table wine became fashionable, and in 1962 Buring’s winemaker John Vickery began to remove Pedro and plant riesling. “He started to make riesling (wine), which began to be seen as the future of Australian white wine,” says Barry. Indeed, Vickery and the Leo Buring brand became almost synonymous with riesling.   “In 1986 Philip Morris (the tobacco company which owned the Leo Buring brand at the time) had six years supply of riesling in its cellars, and no-one was drinking it – chardonnay was the new fashion. They decided to sell the Florita vineyard.

    My brothers and I went to the auction. I was 24.  Mum said ‘You’re not allowed to buy it’. She said we already had plenty of vineyards. We told Dad he’d better buy it, and that would let us off the hook.
    Southcorp (the precursor of Treasury Wine Group) owned the Florita trademark at the time, and although the Barrys began using the grapes immediately, they couldn’t use the name.
    “I had to wait eight years until the registration period was up, but then Southcorp renewed it for another 10 years, so I had to wait 18 years all told, and I registered the name Florita two days after it lapsed.

    Eighteen years is a long time to wait for a drink.”

    Purchase & earn 39 points!Add to Basket
  • 2012 Trevarrick Riesling, Skillogalee Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2012 Trevarrick Riesling, Skillogalee

    £4500

    “Trevarrick” was the original name of the property when it was first settled by John and Anne Trestrail in the 1850s. More than a century later, in 1970 this magnificent piece of land was planted to vines and Skillogalee was born. With each individual contour block on the estate harvested and vinified individually, the Trevarrick name is reserved for those contours which exhibit exceptional quality and varietal character.

    The grapes for this wine were selectively harvested from the highest altitude, earliest ripening contour on the property at around 500m. The stony, thin soils and topography of this part of the vineyard produce unique, high-quality grapes bursting with varietal character.

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  • 2020 Grunlack Riesling Spatlese, Schloss Johannisberg Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 Grunlack Riesling Spatlese, Schloss Johannisberg

    £4600

    The legendary Schloss Johannisberg is steeped in history. The vineyards were planted on the orders of the Roman Emperor Charlemagne. Planted solely with Riesling grapes in 1720, Schloss Johannisberg was the world’s first Riesling Estate and plays a significant part in wine history. It was here in 1775 that the Spätlese quality was discovered using late picked grapes suffering from “noble rot”. Following this discovery, in 1787 the estate gave Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese to the wine world.

    This 2020 Grunlack (Green label) Riesling Spätlese opens in the glass with an exotic bouquet of orange peel, pineapple, and lime complemented by ripe, red apple and delicious mineral undertones. Initial sweetness is perfectly balanced by a juicy freshness on the palate and a delicately creamy finish.

    The south-facing vineyard is steep, with a gradient of 45° and climbs from 114 to 181 metres above sea level. The Riesling vines are grown in quartz stone from the Taunus hillsides interspersed with red clay and topped with loam and rich loss, which retains water and the heat of the day. This unique vineyard sees the 50° parallel run directly through the vineyard and the forest on the top of the Taunus hillsides protects the vines from cold winds. The vines produce limited yields and the grapes are carefully harvested by hand. Spätlese is translated as “late harvest”: the grapes are harvested at least seven days after the normal harvest, so they are riper, have higher sugar content and produce wines of greater intensity.

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  • 2021 Grunlack Riesling Spatlese, Schloss Johannisberg Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 Grunlack Riesling Spatlese, Schloss Johannisberg

    £4600

    The legendary Schloss Johannisberg is steeped in history. The vineyards were planted on the orders of the Roman Emperor Charlemagne. Planted solely with Riesling grapes in 1720, Schloss Johannisberg was the world’s first Riesling Estate and plays a significant part in wine history. It was here in 1775 that the Spätlese quality was discovered using late-picked grapes suffering from “noble rot”. Following this discovery, in 1787 the estate gave Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese to the wine world.

    The Grunlack Riesling Spätlese is a rich and fragrant Spätlese, with an exotic bouquet of orange peel, pineapple, and lime complemented by ripe, red apple and delicious mineral undertones. The initial sweetness is perfectly balanced by a juicy freshness on the palate and a delicately creamy finish.

    The south-facing vineyard is steep, with a gradient of 45° and climbs from 114 to 181 metres above sea level. The Riesling vines are grown in quartz stone from the Taunus hillsides interspersed with red clay and topped with loam and rich loss, which retains water and the heat of the day. This unique vineyard sees the 50° parallel run directly through the vineyard and the forest on the top of the Taunus hillsides protects the vines from cold winds. The vines produce limited yields and the grapes are carefully harvested by hand. Spätlese is translated as “late harvest”: the grapes are harvested at least seven days after the normal harvest, so they are riper, have higher sugar content and produce wines of greater intensity.

    Purchase & earn 46 points!Add to Basket
  • 2018 Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling, Loosen Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling, Loosen Barry

    £7200

    The friendship between Ernst Loosen, of the Dr. Loosen Estate in Germany, and Peter Barry, of Jim Barry Wines, Australia, began in 1995 at the London Wine Fair. Forged out of mutual respect for the noble variety Riesling, this collaboration of ideas pays homage to the wine making techniques used by the Loosen family for generations, and the vineyard practices of the Barry family.

    The German-style Riesling made in Australia is called Wolta Wolta, (Aboriginal for ‘good water’) in honour of one the Barry family’s most significant and successful land purchases, which later became known as Lodge Hill. The Australian-style Riesling, made with grapes from the Erdener Treppchen Vineyard in Germany, is called Walhalla, (pronounced Valhalla) named after the majestic hall ruled over by Odin in Norse mythology.

    It was no simple task for an Australian winemaker to make a German-style Riesling and vice versa, but when each winemaker can draw on forty years of experience of their counterpart, the possibilities are genuinely intriguing, and even though Peter and Tom Barry were uncertain they could make such a different style of Riesling, they were delighted with the outcome.

    This project is not about sales. This is a project of passion, designed to test the skills, explore the possibilities, and hopefully, get people thinking about Riesling in a different way.

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  • 2017 Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling, Loosen Barry Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2017 Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling, Loosen Barry

    £7200

    The friendship between Ernst Loosen, of the Dr. Loosen Estate in Germany, and Peter Barry, of Jim Barry Wines, Australia, began in 1995 at the London Wine Fair. Forged out of mutual respect for the noble variety Riesling, this collaboration of ideas pays homage to the wine making techniques used by the Loosen family for generations, and the vineyard practices…

    Purchase & earn 72 points!Add to Basket