Showing 61–75 of 97 results

• White Wine

  2010 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

  £3800

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

  The 2012 Florita Riesling has an ultra reserved pristine nose of lovely lifted kaffir lime leaves and musky, floral notes with a hint of fresh lemongrass. The palate is all about delicacy, power, finesse and
  balance, with a huge amount of length and structure coming from the natural acid backbone and the generosity of the lime citrus centred fruit.
  A magnificent cellar worthy Riesling.

  The Florita has an incredible story, and we urge you to read it below in the ‘Producer info’ section.

  Purchase & earn 38 points!Add to Basket
• 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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• 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
• 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
• White Wine

  2015 Chardonnay, Stargazer

  £3950

  Sam Connew, previously Chief Winemaker at the famous Wirra Wirra vineyards, said she would never start her own wine label.
  Never.
  She packed her bags and left the McLaren Vale to her home in the Hunter Valley. A couple of trips to Tassie later, and boom, Stargazer was born.
  It is a labour of love for Sam, making small quantities of wine from small parcels of fruit, striving for individuality and quality.
  Sams wines are beautiful, ethereal representations of the Apple Isle.

  The 2015 Chardonnay was sourced from Tolpuddle vineyard – a famous Chardonnay vineyard in Tasmania. It’s a cracker, with icing sugar-dusted apples, subtle vanilla spice and great clarity and drive of grapefruit, hints of bruised apple and this vineyard’s signature steely slate character.

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• White Wine

  2019 Croft Chardonnay, Henschke

  £3995

  Seductive aromas of pear skin, grapefruit, white stone-fruit, citrus blossom and white flowers are complemented by hints of apple, lemon curd, clove spice and toasted almonds. Intense and focussed, the palate shows layer upon layer of pear and white peach, tightly wound by a deliciously creamy texture, and perfectly balanced with nectarine acidity and subtle oak nuances, for a powerful yet elegantly restrained, lingering finish.

  Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue purchased the Lenswood property in the Adelaide Hills in 1981. At 550 metres above sea level, the Lenswood vineyard offers not only magnificent views over the traditional vine country but also higher rainfall and humidity, cooler temperatures to retain high natural acidity, yet still enough sunshine to fully ripen the grapes. The chardonnay vineyard, which consists of seven clones, has taken its name from Frederick Croft, an orchardist who took up a neighbouring property in 1938.

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• White Wine

  2020 Verve Chardonnay, Ocean Eight

  £4100

  Ocean Eight is one of the leading wineries on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula; making tiny quantities of exceptional, hand-crafted wines. Over the years the team at Ocean Eight have honed the style of their ‘Verve’ Chardonnay and its now firmly entrenched as one of Australia’s most distinctive and distinguished examples of Chardonnay. The grapes for Verve Chardonnay are picked one week earlier than any other vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula and only old barrels are used for vinification to highlight the vibrancy of the grapes.

  The name Verve encapsulates its style, showing distinctive grapefruit and citrus aromas. The palate almost gives you the illusion of richness due to the intensity of the fruit, then the crisp, dry finish lingers in an everlasting finale.

  Purchase & earn 41 points!Add to Basket
• White Wine

  2013 Faultline Chardonnay, Kooyong

  £4200

  This 2013 Faultline Chardonnay now has 7 years of age and is mouth-wateringly beautiful.

  The acclaimed wine author Tyson Stelzer said of this wine: ‘Scintillating. Effortlessly unites gunflint with pristine white peach and grapefruit, even nuances of white pepper. There is energy, tension and light-footedness and at the same time expansive presence and concentration that offers breadth and remarkable persistence. Benchmark’.

  The Faultline Vineyard

  Faultline, the largest block at Kooyong, is planted predominantly to Chardonnay in an area where the soils are characterised by a friable dark brown loamy clay.    Adjacent to the Farrago block to the West, the Faultline block is more gently sloping. The block is bounded by a geological fault that runs along the south-western end, beyond which the soil becomes quite poorly drained. Before this fault, however, the soils are well-drained and high in organic matter.   The Chardonnay from the Faultline block is rich and full, defined by a generosity of texture while still supported by Kooyong’s inherent minerality.

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• White Wine

  2012 Faultline Chardonnay, Kooyong

  £4200

  This is handpicked, single-site chardonnay at its very best — a whole bunch of pressed grapes, fermented with natural yeasts and left on its lees for 12 months. It’s a pretty hands-off process, really, but that’s the secret to letting the character of the site show its true colours. The result is a wine layered with complex savoury notes matched with crystalline, fresh, zesty fruit that fills the palate. Flinty mineral characters lead to grapefruit and lemon zest fruit while the barrel influence brings softer nougat, cashew and toast.

  This wine can be drunk now or cellared for another 5-8 years for something very special!

  The Faultline Vineyard 

  Faultline, the largest block at Kooyong, is planted predominantly to Chardonnay in an area where the soils are characterised by a friable dark brown loamy clay.    Adjacent to the Farrago block to the West, the Faultline block is more gently sloping. The block is bounded by a geological fault that runs along the south-western end, beyond which the soil becomes quite poorly drained. Before this fault, however, the soils are well-drained and high in organic matter.   The Chardonnay from the Faultline block is rich and full, defined by generosity of texture while still supported by Kooyong’s inherent minerality.

  Purchase & earn 42 points!Add to Basket
• White Wine

  2012 Farrago Chardonnay, Kooyong

  £4200

  This 2012 Farrago is supremely elegant, complex and balanced, seamless and so aromatic.  Reminiscent of Puligny Montrachet – peach, melon and nectarine knit with fresh vanilla oak and underpinned by nuances of grapefruit, ginger and cloves.

  Thre palate just feels beautiful on the tongue. Smooth and creamy, with delightful roundness and fatness, it’s long, pristine and tightly focussed, with intense stonefruit, melon and citrus flavours deftly knit with vanilla oak and wrapped in a racy acidity.  The finish lingers for a ridiculously long time.   White Burgundy of this quality would cost you triple.

  The Farrago Vineyard

  Exclusively planted to Chardonnay, this small block is gently north-sloping with sediments ranging from those higher in sand to those higher in clay.  The best fruit within the block comes from the zone higher in clay where the soil has a mottled appearance due to high sandstone pebble content, hence the block’s name Farrago.   The Chardonnay from the Farrago block is defined by a precise linear character with strong silicaceous minerality. At its best, this is the premier white wine with the greatest ageing potential.

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• White Wine

  2011 Verve Chardonnay, Ocean Eight

  £4200

  Ocean Eight is a family-owned and run by the Aylward family. Chris and Gail Aylward first made wine on the Mornington Peninsula in 1997 when they established the iconic Kooyong Estate.   Having sold Kooyong in 2004 they setup Ocean Eight on the southern and more cooler side of the Mornington Peninsula.   Ocean Eight is now run by their son Mike Aylward and his wife Hollie.   The 2011 Chardonnay lives up to their reputation – macadamia-nut aromas with some clove spices resulting from the barrel fermentation. The fruit is very much in the lime and grapefruit spectrum. The finish is the highlight with a racy acid and mineral mouth-feel up the centre of the palate.

  Awarded 97 points – James Halliday 

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• 

  TenMinutes

  White Wine

  2019 Estate Chardonnay, Ten Minutes By Tractor

  £4200

  Ten Minutes by Tractor needs little introduction, nor does the man in charge – Martin Spedding. A gently-spoken man with a background in finance and IT, in 2002, he finally acknowledged the fact that his true passion lay in wine. Despite his origins in New South Wales, he simply couldn’t get enough of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and would travel down to Victoria to immerse himself in Australia’s heartland of these noble varieties. In 2003 he visited one of his favourite small wineries on Mornington Peninsula and was delighted to discover that it was for sale. Without a moment’s hesitation, he snapped it up, and so began Martin’s journey with Ten Minutes by Tractor.

  Aged in a mixture of new and old French oak barrels for 11 months.  An exotic nose of curry leaf and spice with hints of honeydew and flint form the backbone of this multiple site Chardonnay. While the acid is tight, it creates a strong drive through the palate that is met by bursts of citrus peel with a fine finish.

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• White Wine

  2020 Estate Chardonnay, Paringa Estate

  £4200

  The Estate series from Paringa is a step up from the Peninsula wines and represent the unique Paringa “style” upon which their reputation has been built.   Expressive aromas of lemon sherbet, white peach, and hints of struck match, lead onto a racy palate. Vibrant fruit flavours are framed with crisp acidity which gives the wine a long, linear finish.

  The fruit for this wine came from the ‘Estate’ vineyard, and the Callanan’s Road vineyard. The fruit comes from low-yielding vines, some of which are over 30 years old. They are grown in the typical red volcanic, iron-rich soil known as Ferrasol. The vines are sustainably cultivated, respecting the balance of the soil and the biodiversity of the environment.

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• 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
• White Wine

  2005 The Virgilius Viognier, Yalumba

  £4500

  Yalumba, the pioneer of Viognier in Australia, has devoted 20 years to the growing and making of this rare and exotic Rhone variety.   On the nose the aroma is always intense with white peaches, apricots and ginger. The palate is lifted with ginger spice, layered mineral texture and complex apricots along with white stone fruit flavours. The trademark Viognier lusciousness of the palate is clearly evident in vintages of this wine which is unctuous and complex.   We are delighted to offer this aged example.

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

  Purchase & earn 45 points!Add to Basket