This natural wine is an exceptionally pure expression of Syrah. Grapes are handpicked from 25-year-old Syrah vines and fermented at low temperatures, using indigenous yeasts only. No chemical additives were added so as well as being organic, biodynamic the wine is natural. It was bottled rapidly in the year of harvest with no added sulfites and no oak ageing. What strikes you about this wine is its purity, silky mouthfeel and its intense long finish. The flavours and aromas are all classic Syrah – plums, black fruit, leather.
Great Wines
Showing 1–15 of 65 results
Results per page:-
2014 Vermentino, Chalmers
£2000Add to BasketChalmers make incredible characterful wines from Mediterranean grape varieties that they have imported, cultivated in vineyards in Heathcote, Victoria. They released Australia’s first Vermentino wine in 2004 and it’s since become a trademark line in the range, their ‘go-to’ white. There are now more than 100 winemakers working with the grape across Australia and it’s no wonder when it loves the sunshine and makes such delicious wines with ultimate drinkability.
Chalmers Vermentino is a truly unique iteration of the Mediterranean grape and this 2014 vintage marks a decade of Vermentino in Australia. It opens in the glass with aromas of soft stonefruit, herbs and sea spray that is so distinctive to the Vermentino grape. The palate is lively and racy with lovely savoury overtones. Think white nectarine, Amalfi lemons, Italian herbs and a crushed rock minerality as well as that gorgeous sea saltiness associated with the grape. We love this wine at WR!
The grapes come from the Chalmers vineyard in Heathcote and are grown on rich, red Cambrian soil, sitting 150-170m above sea level. The grapes are handpicked, whole bunch pressed with wild fermentation before the wine sits on less for 6 months.
-
2012 Fiano, Chalmers
£2200Add to BasketThe 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.
-
2007 Cuchulain Shiraz, Setanta
£2500Add to BasketThis mature Adelaide Hills Shiraz is a delicious drop and a very rare wine. Being bottled under a stelvin enclosure thas really benefitted this wine and its ageing. In the glass, it is dark plum in colour with purple hues. A blackcurrant and pepper nose precedes tastes of plum, white pepper and wild black cherries. Excellent use of oak has integrated the soft tannin characters. A Rhone-style Shiraz that is drinking really well!
.
-
2013 Sagrantino, Chalmers
£2500Add to BasketChalmers make incredible characterful wines from Mediterranean grape varieties that they have imported, cultivated in vineyards in Heathcote, Victoria. This amazing Sagrantino has an invitingly sumptuous nose of rich, ripe fruit and savoury herbal complexity. There is a wonderful sense of completeness in the mouth: velvety texture, cinnamon and spicy dried fruit flavours and a concentrated maturity reminiscent of rare, oak-aged balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Superbly rounded and well-balanced.
One of the most tannic varieties in the world, Sagrantino is a relatively small player in Italy where there are only about 250 hectares of the grape grown in the Montefalco region of Umbria. Despite this, it is a highly revered wine with DOCG status since 1992. It has been growing in Australia since 2000 with the first Australian wine made by Chalmers in 2004. There are now a number of producers making great examples of the variety which has proven to perform fantastically well in both extreme heat/drought conditions and wet vintages like 2010 and 2011.
-
2012 Solanera Vinas Viejas, Bodega Castano
£2950Add to BasketThe Castaño family owns over 410 hectares of vineyards in the Yecla DO in south-eastern Spain. 80% of these vineyards are planted with the native Monastrell variety. For several generations, Bodegas Castaño has been a pioneer in this region and has come to symbolise the best of what southern Spain has to offer: rich, warm climate wines made from grapes grown at altitude, resulting in wines of great character and finesse.
Made from grapes grown on non-irrigated bush vines at high altitude, Solanera is full-bodied with silky sweet tannins, yet boasts an intense aromatic freshness with flavours of graphite, acacia flowers, black raspberries and bramble.
-
2021 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry
£3350Add to BasketJim 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 +
-
2019 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos, Chateau Dereszla, 375ml
£3900Add to BasketSituated in the heart of the Tokaj region, the origins of Chateau Dereszla can be traced back to the 18th century. The Estate owns 27 hectares spread across the designated “Grand Cru” area, and the large diversity of soils throughout these vineyard holdings is a crucial factor in the complexity of their wines. The historic cellars were fully renovated in 2003 and equipped with state-of-the-art winemaking technology.
Château Dereszla is world-renowned for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as “noble rot”. This 2019 Aszú 5 Puttonyos is made from the Furmint and Hárslevelű grape varieties which are native to Hungary. In the glass, the wine is deep, the roasted fruit notes are complemented by lively, fresh apricot and quince. Luscious yet sprightly, with a beautiful blossomy scent and a fresh finish. Glazed peach and honey overflow from the nose, counterbalanced by lovely earthy nuances.
Château Dereszla Aszú 5 Puttonyos is an excellent example of traditional Tokaji wines and is a delicious and elegant dessert in its own right.
To make Château Dereszla Aszú 5 Puttonyos, the grapes are harvested by hand to be able to carefully select the grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, with the final amount of sugar measured in puttonyos. A puttonyo is a kind of basket with an approximate capacity of 25 kg. It is used as a measure to work out the quantity noble rot clusters, which they call Aszú, and which are subsequently poured into the base wine in 136-litre barrels. The minimum quantity for this class of wines is 3 puttonyos and the maximum is 6. The more puttonyos it contains, the sweeter it will be. The resulting wine ages for three years in Hungarian oak barrels.
-
2012 Central Coast Viognier, Alban Vineyards
£3950Add to BasketJohn 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.
-
2018 Ribolla Gialla, Benevolent Neglect
£4100Add to BasketRibolla Gialla is an ancient variety that originated in Greece and is mostly found in northeastern Italy and across the border in Slovenia, where it is known as Rebula.
This California version is sourced from the Bengier Family Vineyard, a hidden gem inside of the Napa Valley’s nested ava Oak Knoll District. Fermented traditionally on skins for 15 days, this wine takes on a completely unique character for white wine. Due to its time on its skin and in the barrel it shows quite a bit of minerality, citrus skin with a core of tropical fruit with much in between.
Tasting Note: Light, bright and fresh lemon sherbet draw the nose in followed by almond and acacia. On the palate, the wine is mineral, with slight notes of sour pear drop. The finish is long and refreshingly sour. This is a perfect oyster wine, match it with foods equally as bright, like a fresh arugula salad with a racy vinaigrette.
-
2010 Tarraford Vineyard Pinot Noir, Giant Steps
£4450Add to BasketThe 2010 Tarraford Pinot Noir is a brooding, meaty and earthy expression of Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, with underlying varietal fruit and structural tannins.
The nose gives freshly tilled earth and a meatiness that is tempered by savoury plum and cherry aromas. The wine has great structure, with rhubarb, cherry and a touch of tomato leaf providing interest and a good contrast to the mouth-filling ripe tannins. The wine has a medium to full-bodied finish with savoury red fruits accentuated by gentle spices and elegant oak inputs. -
2010 Gladysdale Vineyard Pinot Noir, Giant Steps
£4450Add to Basket2010 was an excellent vintage in the Yarra Valley and produced Pinots of exceptional purity and longevity. This stunner from the Gladysdale vineyard in the Upper Yarra is a magnificent beast. Bright raspberry and cherry mingle with a tickle of liquorice. Supple and inviting with attractive spice and smooth tannins. The fine, embedded acidity is typical of the excellent vintage as is the overall vitality and vigour. Vibrant and with a pleasing sweetness that is balanced by provencal herbs. Balanced, poised and has aged very well indeed. 10-year-old Pinot from a renowned vineyard for this price – bargain!
-
2010 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry
£4500Add to BasketThis 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.
-
Dessert Wine2007 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines 2eme Cru Classe, Barsac
£4500Add to BasketAnybody who has tasted the sensational 1989 Doisy-Védrines will want to snap up the equally good 2007 in an instant. As well as being one of the sweetest wines of the vintage it is exceptionally elegant and well-balanced. The nose is marked by intense, icy-cool tropical citrus while the rich yet fresh palate has wonderfully pure, sweet creamy pineapple fruit, plenty of botrytis and fine balancing acidity. The finish is incredibly long and precise. Made from 95% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc, this is a magically sensual Sauternes at an outstanding price.
-
Sotto di Ferro, Charles Melton
£4900Add to BasketCharles Melton is the only Australian producer of a vin-santo styled dessert wine, he calls it, Sotto di Ferro. Made from Pedro Ximenez and Muscadelle grapes that are hung and dried in bunches under the rafter of old iron sheds on the Melton property. From the trickle of juice gathered from the shrivelled grapes comes this wine showing rich, luscious dried apricot and nut characters. This is not a wine to rush. Take your time and allow it to impress you with its sweet complexity that develops in the glass.
For those interested in the winemaking process this from the winery: Pedro Ximenez and Muscadelle bunches are carefully hand-picked and placed in small crates before being taken to our ‘hanging shed’. There, an experienced team tie six to eight bunches of grapes onto strings which are then suspended from the rafters for up to eight weeks. The grapes dehydrate naturally as they are exposed to air, and when the team at Charles Melton Wines deems the grapes to be concentrated enough, the bunches will be pressed in a basket press. The juice is then yeasted and fermented in small 60-litre old oak casks known as ‘Caratelli’ for 18 months. After fermentation completes, the wine will remain in barrel for a further four years before it is bottled.
