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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

Showing 16–30 of 132 results

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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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  • 2017 The Galvo Garage Cabernet Blend, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2017 The Galvo Garage Cabernet Blend, d’Arenberg

    £1995

    Made during an exceptionally balanced year. A lifted and perfumed nose displaying complex notes of violets, blackcurrant and ripe berries. The colour is quite rich, almost dark, suggesting a fuller-bodied flavour profile.  The palate is elegant, yet sings with ripe fruits, and is extremely juicy with deep richness and structure. This mix of pure fruit combines with fine oak tannins that lead to a lovely fragrant dark chocolate, minerally dry finish.

    ‘Garage wines’ is a term used to describe wines that are produced in the back sheds of French winemakers, who make small batch wines of the highest quality. Our galvanized, corrugated ‘garage’ was built in 1927 and still houses the traditional equipment used in the handcrafting of this wine.

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  • 2021 ‘Origin’ Pinot Noir, Saint Clair Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2021 ‘Origin’ Pinot Noir, Saint Clair

    £2075

    Dark garnet colour in the glass with aromas layered with blueberry and blackcurrant fruits, intermingled with dark chocolate aromas. The palate is concentrated and fruit-driven with ripe red berries and dark fruits filling the senses. Delicate tannin and savoury oak notes to finish. Well-matched with garlic and rosemary lamb rack with a side of fresh lettuce and pistachio salad.

    Drinking beautifully now, this wine can be enjoyed young or with careful cellaring will mature into a more complex wine that can be enjoyed for the next three years.

    The fruit is sourced from a number of specifically chosen low cropping vineyards from the Southern Valleys region of the Wairau Plain. The vines are grown in very clay-rich, vigour moderating soils. Each vineyard is closely monitored and tasted to determine when the flavours were at their optimum and harvested in the cool of the morning.

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  • 2018 The Derelict Vineyard Grenache, d’Arenberg Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2018 The Derelict Vineyard Grenache, d’Arenberg

    £2095

    2018 was an exceptional year for Grenache in the McLaren Vale. An absolute abundance of fruit on the nose, with all the classics, blueberry, plum, liquorice, spice and earth. The palate too is full of presence. Juicy and generous but with a seam of crunchy tannin and lively acid that add structure and fresh punch to the wine. All of these big rich fruits are wrapped around a graphite almost ferrous like framework. Immediately drinkable but undoubtedly a Grenache built for time. If enjoying young be sure to decant or at a minimum allow it to breath in the glass. Your patience will reward you.

    The name of the wine is inspired by the time in the 1980s and early 90s when Grenache was considered unfashionable, Chester acquired many old bush vine, overgrown and abandoned vineyards. These vineyards still have a slightly dishevelled appearance, but they are back producing very low yields of exceptional fruit.

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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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  • 2012 Fiano, Chalmers Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2012 Fiano, Chalmers

    £2200

    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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  • 2021 ‘Hen & Chicken’ Chardonnay, Larry Cherubino Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 ‘Hen & Chicken’ Chardonnay, Larry Cherubino

    £2200

    The Ad Hoc range of wines from Larry Cherubino is designed to be your ‘go-to’ wines – dependable, high quality and fit for any occasion.  This 2021 Chardonnay is an inviting and creamy wine with green apple, melon and citrus aromas enhanced by buttered brioche and a lovely freshness on the finish.   The fruit was handpicked, whole bunch pressed, fermented with natural yeasts and aged in new two year old French oak prior to bottling.

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  • 2019 Middle Of Everywhere Shiraz, Larry Cherubino Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2019 Middle Of Everywhere Shiraz, Larry Cherubino

    £2200

    Aromas of red earth, ground black spice and dark berries lead to a palate of fine, silky tannins. Juicy fruit flavours of blueberry and dark cherry combine with undertones of spice.

    The fruit was selected and hand-picked from sites across Frankland River, Western Australia. The vines were planted in 1997 to a density of 1,650 vines per hectare and have a northern orientation, which maximises the exposure to the sun. Careful irrigation ensures the vines are healthy. The soils are granite, which are known for their heat retention properties and for promoting the even ripening of the berries.

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  • 2019 Laissez Faire Syrah, Larry Cherubino Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2019 Laissez Faire Syrah, Larry Cherubino

    £2250

    Laissez-Faire means “let it be” and this reflects the hands-off approach that winemaker Larry Cherubino uses when making this striking Syrah.  A bouquet of black cherries is enveloped in subtle mineral nuances and supporting oak spice. Red flowery fruit flavours dominate, with subtle slate-like minerality following through onto the elegant palate, all framed by fine tannins through to a long finish.

    While inspiration has been taken from organics, biodynamics and natural winemaking practices, the Laissez Faire range could be called ‘natural wines’; Larry Cherubino likes to think of them as “post-natural” wines. Believing in healthy and sustainable vineyard practices, Larry grows all his own grapes and can account for their provenance and natural status. While copper is allowed in organic viticulture, minimal copper treatments are used here. The grapes for this wine are grown in the subregions of Frankland River and Porongurup, in the Great Southern, which are considered to be two of the most distinctive viticulture areas in Australia.

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  • 2017 Shiraz ‘Watervale Single Vineyard’, Jim Barry Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2017 Shiraz ‘Watervale Single Vineyard’, Jim Barry

    £2250

    This 2017 Shiraz comes from a single-vineyard sourced from the Florita vineyard in Watervale.  The Shiraz block is planted on a gentle northwest facing slope that takes full advantage of Clare Valley climate.

    It is an opulent wine with expressive aromas of rich, bright red fruits that are supported by classic Clare Valley spice. Beautifully structured with fine savoury tannins and terrific length of vibrant fruit on the palate.  This is not your typical Clare Valley Shiraz!   The opulent nature of the wine could be due to winemaking that saw one-third of the grapes being co-fermented with 15% of whole bunch fruit to impart complexity and an aromatic lift to the wine.   The wine then went through malolactic fermentation (a process where tart malic acid in wine converts to softer, creamier lactic acid) before being transferred to oak barrels for 12 months of ageing.

    A terrific mouthful of wine!

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  • 2021 Grenache, Seppeltsfield Red Wine

    2021 Grenache, Seppeltsfield

    £2295

    The 2021 Barossa Grenache is made in a ‘joven’ style – released young and without any oak maturation. The Grenache was vinified through the historic 1888 Gravity Cellar – which is highly regarded for its small batch format and gentle maceration.

    The grapes were sourced from Seppeltsfields iconic bush vine Great Terraced Vineyard in the the Barossa.

    In the glass it is lively, medium crimson with pink hues. Lifted aromas of rosewater and Turkish delight with a strawberry note. Sweet fruited on the palate with a dried herb savoury edge, talcy acidity and plum skin tannins.

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  • 2021 Hunter Valley Semillon, Brokenwood Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 Hunter Valley Semillon, Brokenwood

    £2295

    Established in 1970 by Tony Albert, John Beeston and wine critic James Halliday, Brokenwod has evolved from a weekend venture for hobby winemakers into one of the Hunter’s leading estates renowned for producing some of Australia’s most long-lived Semillons.

    Brilliant water-like colour with a faint greenish tinge to the edges. The nose displays punchy aromas of lime zest, lemon and Granny Smith apple followed by some flinty mineral notes. Crunchy lime and green apple fruits are underpinned by crisp, lemony acidity with wet steel and mineral characters flowing onto the zesty aftertaste.

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  • 2019 Cricket Pitch Red, Brokenwood Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2019 Cricket Pitch Red, Brokenwood

    £2295

    The Cricket Pitch wines are the perfect introduction to the wines of the iconic hunter valley winery, Brokenwood.

    The 2019 Cricket Pitch Red is a multi-regional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz sourced from premium regions including Beechworth, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra.

    In the glass it has a beautiful deep colour with youthful tints, the aromas open with juicy berry fruits and subtle spices.  The palate is juicy and fruit driven with fine long tannins.  All in all a great glass of wine and although it is made as a drink-now style, it always benefits from a few extra years in bottle.

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  • 2020 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Barrique’, Saint Clair Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 Sauvignon Blanc ‘Barrique’, Saint Clair

    £2300

    The wine displays complex aromas of green coffee bean, vanilla pod and maple syrup are complemented by notes of wildflowers, crushed herbs and just a hint of gunflint. The palate is rich and unctuous with layers of ripe papaya, nectarine, cocoa powder and toasted hazelnut with hints of red berry and cassis.

    The grapes come from three rows of vines in one of Saint Clair’s best vineyards in the lower Wairau sub-region of Marlborough. The vineyard soils are nutrient-rich and free draining. The maritime climate and close proximity to the sea create a high diurnal temperature difference resulting in a long ripening period, concentrating the fruit flavours while retaining refreshing acidity. The fruit is left to hang a week longer than the fruit for Saint Clair’s traditional Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are hand-harvested, with only the highest quality bunches being selected.

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  • 2019 Viña Alberdi Reserva, La Rioja Alta Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2019 Viña Alberdi Reserva, La Rioja Alta

    £2300

    The 2019 Viña Alberdi Reserva is 100% Tempranillo from vineyards that are 40 years old and at a high altitude of 500-600 metres above sea level.

    This vintage stands out for its intense ripe red fruit aromas like strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants complemented by pleasantly sweet spicy notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. The palate is round, with lively freshness at the start and sweet, supple tannins, leading to a long, fruity and balsamic finish, so characteristic of Viña Alberdi.

    This wine stands out for its food-pairing versatility. It is the ideal companion to appetizers, snacks and barbecues, perfect with rice, pasta and creams, and great with lightly-grilled meat and fish.

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