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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 31–45 of 68 results

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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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  • 2021 Estate Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, Talbott Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 Estate Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, Talbott

    £3750

    Talbott Vineyards is defined by its iconic Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, where the conditions are ideal for exceptional, cool-climate Chardonnay.  Located in the northern area of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in Monterey County, it has been designated one of California’s Grand Cru vineyards by Wine Enthusiast in 2016, for its ability to produce exceptional wines year after year. The vines were first planted in 1972 at an elevation of 168 metres and cover 228 hectares. Due to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean and the east-to-northeasterly exposure, cooling fog and frequent ocean breezes temper the warm sunshine, giving Sleepy Hollow one of the longest growing seasons in California and allowing each grape to develop concentrated flavours.

    A bright, elegant Chardonnay, with aromas of Pink Lady apple, juicy pineapple, pear and caramelised brown sugar. Unctuous and opulent on the palate, with refreshing acidity offering beautiful balance to the ripe tropical fruit.

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  • 2013 Central Coast Viognier, Alban Vineyards Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2013 Central Coast Viognier, Alban Vineyards

    £3850

    John Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated.  Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.

    The Central Coast Viognier from Alban has always been fantastic value and rarely overshadowed by its big brother, the Estate Viognier.  This 2013 vintage has aromas of ripe peach, flowers and exotic honey.  It’s rich, unctuous and concentrated on the palate, offering the classic Alban richness and texture. The finish is a heady rich blockbuster.  Brilliant when young but exceptional when it has a few years of age, like this now 7-year-old beauty.

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  • Liqueur Muscat, Skillogalee Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    Liqueur Muscat, Skillogalee

    £3850

    This old vine Muscat is one of our all time favourite wines.  Exceptional quality.

    This Muscat is produced in a similar method to tawny port, with a blend of different vintages of sweet wine. These separate wines are fermented, fortified and left to age for decades in oak puncheons using a solera method. While released as non-vintage, each bottle contains a blend on muscat going back many decades. The resulting blend of fortified wine is sweet, dark, and with a higher alcohol component than typical still wine.

    The current blend is made from a blend of vintages predominantly late 1990’s, with a little older material to contribute some aged, rancio characters of butterscotch and complex fruit, with some younger wine to give freshness and lift.

    It is bright, red-amber in colour with a light young sweet raisin nose. The palate shows nutty raisin apricot flavours, very full and sweet but not cloying. The finish is lingering – very smooth and liqueur like!

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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 Central Coast Viognier, Alban Vineyards Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2012 Central Coast Viognier, Alban Vineyards

    £3950

    John Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated.  Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.

    Aromatic and floral. Forward and fruity with notes of lychee, pear and stone fruit. North County fruit brings rich texture and body while estate fruit adds floral notes, minerals and balancing acidity. It is 25% barrel fermented in a mixture of new and used French oak. This is an intense, full-bodied style with considerable weight, luscious and delicious.

    Purchase & earn 40 points!Add to Basket
  • 2011 Chardonnay, Dog Point Vineyard Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2011 Chardonnay, Dog Point Vineyard

    £4100

    This 12-year-old Chardonnay was recently released by Dog Point as a part of their museum release program.  It’s simply stunning, liquid gold in a glass.  Aromas of limestone, lemon and white flowers waft from the glass.  The palate is full of flavour, layered and intense.  Spicy with a buttery feel.   The finish is long and intense.  This will continue to age gracefully for another 10 years.  Simply magnificent.

    Purchase & earn 41 points!Add to Basket
  • 2008 The Virgilius Viognier, Yalumba Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2008 The Virgilius Viognier, Yalumba

    £4250

    Yalumba, the pioneer of Viognier in Australia, has devoted 20 years to the growing and making of this rare and exotic Rhone variety.   The Virgilius is Yalumba’s most distinguished Viognier – a wine that shows power with restraint. As Yalumba’s most premium and enchanting white wine, it is loved by wine lovers looking for something beyond the more conventional offering.

    The nose on this 2009 Virgilius delivers a lifted and exotic aromatic profile of honeysuckle, dried apricot and tropical fruit on the turn followed by a hint of citrus and spice as endnotes. Rich mouth filling flavours of ripe apricot, honeysuckle, tropical fruits and spice. Aftertaste of ripe apricot, honeysuckle and spice – the acidity is incredibly fine, almost taking it into top chardonnay territory; amazing!

    At its best with food, The Virgilius complements a wide range of flavors, particularly dishes with spice and richness.

    Purchase & earn 43 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 Chardonnay ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Chardonnay ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw

    £4750

    An exceptional Chardonnay from the amazing cool-climate region of Elgin.  Restrained, mineral style focussed on elegance with a white fruit character, some oatmeal and some complexity gained from percipient applied wood.  Only 15982 bottles and 70 Magnums.

    The grapes come from eight to 10 small parcels of vineyards in several locations in the Elgin Valley. Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa and is situated on an inland, hexagonal-shaped plateau, at an altitude of 300 metres. The region is surrounded by mountains and lies just over six miles from the Atlantic Ocean, which brings occasional sea-borne mists. February is the hottest month of the year, with daytime temperatures peaking at 23°C and night-time temperatures dipping to 14°C. The benefit of this cooler climate is that the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, so it develops complex characteristics and achieves physiological ripeness more gradually, resulting in lower sugar levels and consequently lower alcohol levels.

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  • 2018 Chardonnay ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Chardonnay ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw

    £4750

    Restraint, minerality, freshness of fruit and a chiselled edge reflect limestone’s soil properties. This 2018 reveals clean, bright aromas of lemon blossom, wet chalk and powdered stones. Penetrating intensity, animated acidity with a rich mid-palate weight; this wine has purity of fruit – orange peel, yellow cling peaches and grapefruit peel – with complexing oatmeal and lemon cream biscuits to crème fraiche textures and a long finish.   Only 2128 bottles were produced.

    The G.P.S. (Grape Positioning System) series is made from exciting small parcels of fruit selected from carefully chosen vineyards outside the Elgin Valley. The Chardonnay grapes come from a small parcel of vines which are grown as a single vineyard block in Lower Duivenhoks River district, in the Western Cape. The pure limestone soil is something of a rarity in the Western Cape; it is a soil in which Chardonnay flourishes and produces elegant, fresh wines. The Dijon clone CY95 vines thrive in this warm Mediterranean climate, which is tempered by the Atlantic Ocean and the nearby Duivenhoks River. The wide diurnal temperature ranges create a long hang time during which the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, developing complex characteristics and achieving physiological ripeness more gradually, balanced by natural acidity.

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