SWTD May 2025
A selection of three vineyards from around the Barossa Valley. A 120 year old bush vine block on sand in Light Pass. A 70 year old block in Nuriootpa and a 35 year old bush vine block in Krondorf on Biscay / dark loam over sand. All fruit was handpicked, destemmed and wild yeast fermented separately. Matured in old French puncheons (500L) for 12 months. No fining agents were used. This is a medium bodied Grenache with bright red fruit and subtle spice, raspberries and cherries with a long finish and silky tannins.
Medium term five to eight years.
“Josh Pfeiffer and Nick Justice met studying wine at Adelaide University in 2008. They collaborated to produce their first wine in 2009 with family and friends before going on separate wine journeys. A fourth generation Barossa grape grower, Josh spent several years as a winemaker at Henschke, Two Hands and his family winery Whistler Wines before creating Barossa Wine Cartel. Nick spent consecutive vintages at La Crema and Yangarra Estate before spending the last decade at Paringa Estate on the Mornington Peninsula. After 16 years of adventures, Josh and Nick decided to come together again professionally to create Adventurous Souls. It encapsulates both families mutual love for all things nature and outdoors.”
Web: www.adventuroussoulswine.com
No Cellar Door.
Sydney Distributor: Young and Rashleigh (02) 9967 5900
Our Cabernet Sauvignon invites you with its vibrant, youthful purple colour. Delicious, bright cassis fruits, varietal dried herb and classy graphite oak. A generous wine with supple purple fruits, plush mid-palate and a fine tannin line to finish. Such a pure expression of variety and region.
Drinking very well now and over the next 5+ years.
“Barwang is a landmark vineyard in the Hilltops Region. Founded in 1969 by the Robertson family, and later nurtured by the McWilliam family, it has earned a powerful reputation for its grapes and wines. In recent times this icon property has passed to the Bowman family, sixth generation farmers in the Hilltops Region near Young, NSW. Wendy and James Bowman are working on this exciting new chapter with some of Australia’s best winemakers to continue to the over half century tradition of producing outstanding single varietal wines under the Barwang Label and its brand name that means ‘place of water.’ The wines are true expressions of their cool climate home and 100 hectare vineyard, which boasts free-draining soils, 550m plus elevation, a unique micro-climate and ample water, attributes that conjure up richly flavoured, distinctive wines.”
Available to Retail.
Web: barwangwines.com.au
Sydney Distributor: Young and Rashleigh (02) 9967 5900
All the fruit was hand-picked once the flavours and tannins felt just right. We partially destemmed the grapes (keeping about 20% as whole bunch) and put them into small open fermenters, then let them cold soak for four days before fermentation kicked off naturally. Pump overs early on to get things moving, then switching to hand plunging toward the end to coax out delicate flavour and tannin. After a gentle press, we racked everything into French oak barriques (about 10% new) to finish secondary fermentation and age through until December. The wine is medium purple in the glass. On the nose, its rich and a little mysterious. Think stewed rhubarb, flint, cherry consomme, black pepper and a hint of pansies, granite and elderberries, all laced with a touch of white pepper and graphite. The palate is bright and lively, with a fresh streak of white pepper and that same flinty graphite note carrying through. There’s a lovely, moreish grip to the tannins, and the flavours hang around beautifully: stewed black cherries, tart mulberries and a hint of sweet anise tying it all together.
Medium term five to eight years.
“The 2021 / 2022 growing season was wet with cooler than usual spring days. All the early rain meant less frost risk in spring, and careful vineyard management paid off. Thankfully, the weather dried up just in time for harvest and vintage came together beautifully. Fruit had plenty of time to ripen fully, bringing freshness, flavour and balance, without pushing alcohol levels too high.”
Available to Retail.
Phone: 0432 060 903
Open: Weekends 10.00 to 5.00.
Address: 9 Patemans Lane, Murrumbateman, NSW, 2582.
Web: www.fourwindsvineyard.com.au
52% Grenache, 38% Shiraz and 10% Mataro. Each individual parcel was vinified separately, and remained so until the final wine was assembled. Maturation in a selection of seasoned French oak hogsheads for twelve months provides a softness and elegance to the silky palate. Colour is deep red with purple rim. Soft black forest fruit and ripe red cherry aromas lift from the glass. The palate mimics the aromatic profile. Flavours of dark cherry give way to the floral and blueberry notes of the cool climate Grenache. These bright flavours are balanced and held in check by alluring white spice from the Shiraz. This balance is further refined as the length of the wine is carried seamlessly by a slate like acidity and accentuated powdery tannins of the Mataro.
“Lively in its youth.” Five years won’t knock it over!
“Following mild winter temperatures, the vines emerged from their dormancy earlier than usual. This coupled with enduring mild weather during the growing season resulted in slower ripening and elongated time on the vine. These ideal conditions allowed the fruit to ripen evenly and slowly giving natural acid retention while developing varietal character and flavour ripeness at lower sugar levels.”
Available to Retail.
Phone: 08 8843 4206
Fax: 08 8843 4246
Open: Thurs. to Sun. 11 to 5.
Address: Penna Lane, Penwortham, S.A., 5453.
Web: www.kilikanoon.com.au
100% Chenin Blanc, our vineyard is in the Atger-Paarl Region. The bush vines are 25 years old and are dry grown in soils primarily Malmesbury Shale, which impart minerality and fresh acid. Grapes were hand harvested and only free run juice was used. After settling, the must was inoculated and allowed to ferment over 20 days in stainless steel tanks at an average temperature of 13°C. The wine was left on gross lees for three months until bottling for a richer mouthfeel and longevity. 100% unoaked to preserve freshness of the fruit. Fined and filtered before bottling. The colour is light straw. The nose shows vibrant notes of quince, pear and pineapple. On the palate, white peach, green apple and a burst of citrus, with well-rounded acidity, minerality and that rich mouthfeel.
Enjoy on release, now. The wine opens up with airing. Chenin Blanc, also has the ability to develop in the bottle, five plus years.
“The MAN vineyards looked absolutely fantastic throughout the growing season, with full, rich canopies. Yields were relatively low this year. The quality, though, overall was high.” I recall in 1985 a Viticulturist at Houghtons in W.A., (Houghton’s ‘White Burgundy’ was primarily Chenin Blanc) told me that Chenin performs better in the West than his home State. Wow. He also rated South Africa highly as a Chenin producer. Some things stick!
Sydney Distributor: Young and Rashleigh (02) 9967 5900
Web: manwines.com
Sangiovese is the last variety to ripen in our environment and requires careful management of the vine’s foliage and the number of bunches to get the best quality fruit. The Pankhurst Sangiovese is of the Brunello Clone, which is generally considered the peak clone of this variety, producing lovely, well rounded mouthfeel. The 2023 ripening period was cooler than usual, resulting in a late harvest overall. It also produced good natural acidity and wine colour. Together the environmental conditions and good viticultural management produced a Sangiovese crop which was medium yielding and a very high quality. After vinification, the wine was matured in quality French Frère barriques for eight months. This 2023 Sangiovese wine displays rich fruit characters and an excellent structure while being smooth around the edges of the tongue and having a high point in the mid-palate. It has great depth of character, with savoury notes and tones of spice and cherries.
Released to drink and enjoy.
In March, Christine very generously gave me a bottle of both their Sangiovese and Tempranillo to have a look at. Opened together and over three days (refrigerated) I thought they told an interesting story. The Sangiovese was quick to charm and remained that way. The Tempranillo opened up nicely on day two (probably slowed down by the cool temperature) and by the third day ‘background’ similarities of origin began emerging. Definitely siblings. The Sangiovese seemed to be the choice, just.
Limited Retail availability.
Web: pankhurstwines.com.au
Phone: +61 2 6230 2592
Open: Weekends and Public Hols. 10 to 5.
Address: 56 Woodgrove Close, Wallaroo, NSW, 2618.
A medium deep brick red with brick red hue. This wine displays layered aromas of mulberries, blackcurrants, raspberry and eucalypt with subtle oak. The palate is medium weight and easy to drink but still well structured and integrated. Flavours of mulberry and blackcurrant linger.
Perfect now and over the next few years.
“Vintage 2021 will go down as not only Australia’s largest vintage to date but also possibly one of the best from a quality perspective. After a relatively wet Spring and early growing season, conditions were excellent for fruit set and flowering across most varieties. Early in the new year, there was only one major rainfall event, with the rest of the season being quite dry with little disease pressure or pressure from mid Autumn heat waves. A slow and balanced ripening period was excellent for achieving fruit flavour and ripeness at lower sugar levels while retaining high levels of natural acidity.”
Available to Retail.
Web: www.patritti.com.au
Phone: 08 8296 8261
Open: M to Th 10 to 5, F 10 to 9, Sat 10 to 5 Sun + P/H 11 to 5.
Address: 13-23 Clacton Road, Dover Gardens. S.A., 5048.
Grapes were hand-picked (sourced from Moppity Tumbarumba vineyard). Four bins (500kg each) were destemmed and three bins left as whole bunches. Four bins were inoculated / fermented using two different yeast strains that provide lifted fruity characters. Two bins were left as whole bunches and flooded with CO2 and left for 10 days to ferment naturally. After 10 days (60% Carbonic fermentation) the ferment was uncovered and left to finish fermenting. The wine (Carbonic and traditional open ferment was pressed separately and matured in French barriques (20% new oak) for 10 months. The wine was unfiltered before bottling with minimal fining using pea protein. This wine has aromas of redcurrant and violets, soft tannins and a savoury character with a hint of toasty oak.
“A moment in time, drink young and fresh, two to three years.”
“Gamay is a favourite of mine, light in colour but delivers intensity and flavour on the palate. Has a reputation of being a poor cousin of pinot noir, however I don't agree? It’s much less fastidious to grow than pinot, trends to crop higher and can be made in a wide range of styles.” In February when I picked up the Riesling, Carla had a look through the wines to which hers completed the Dozen and said: “Oh I love Gamay,” after seeing the Beaujolias and the XO Wine Co wines. Good stuff, an idea was added to the list for this lot.
Sapling Yard has limited access to Retail. Contact me, or Cellar Door.
Web: www.saplingyard.com.au
Phone: 0410 770 894
Open: Friday 12 to 8, Sat.10 to 5, Sun 12 to 4
Address: 23 Malbon Road, Bungendore, NSW, 2621. Saturdays 11.00 to 4.00.
The 2024 Inigo Riesling comes from three unique blocks on the Sevenhill property, with harvest taking place from the 20th to 22nd February. The grapes are crushed and chilled prior to gentle pressing. Each block was fermented separately. Cool fermentation temperatures followed by fanatical attention to detail prior to bottling have helped maintain vibrancy and fruit purity. A bright aroma of lime, citrus, mineral and orange blossom. The palate is very fine, with a delicate acidity defining the palate. Clean white nectarine fruit flavours balance and complete the wine nicely.
Nothing in the Notes. A vintage such as 2024 produces wines with ‘legs.’ 10+ years. But drink young too, and often!
2024 is looked at generally as a ‘goodie.’ “Best fruit I’ve ever seen….etc.” I read this somewhere as a Winemaker’s comment, but unfortunately, I can’t remember who said it. It did, however, encourage me to ‘look out early’ for releases. Well worth the indulgence. “The 2024 vintage was preceded by a cool December and January with below average rainfall for that period. The rain stayed away in February and March, but the temperature really kicked in from the middle of February to the middle of March with numerous days reaching temperatures above 35°C. This warm period led to a compressed vintage of high quality fruit.” Sevenhill Notes agrees to a Vintage of ‘quality.’
Available to Retail.
Web: www.sevenhill.com.au
Phone: 08 8843 5900
Open: Mon. to Fri. 9 to 5 & Weekends 10 to 5.
Address: 111 College Road, Sevenhill, S.A., 5453.
2022 was a very good growing season for Chardonnay. Looking back, all the Strawhouse wines from 2022 have distinct fruit character and structure. Whilst we were in the growing season, it presented many challengers – cool, wet spring, late flowering and late picking. This Chardonnay sees a classic combination of barrel fermentation complexity with a balanced combination of new and older French oak barrels. I think adding a new barrel from Dargaud and Jaegle into our mix of barrels has contributed to a seamless integration of oak and nutty lees. D&J barrels were one of the French coopers favoured by Canobolas-Smith back in the day. Unfined, unfiltered. Minimal sulphites.
Medium term five to eight years.
This wine was planned to be in the February Dozen but it was bumped by the opportunistic offering of the Margaret River wine. Memory has it, time wise, toward the end of last year I called in on Justin on my way home, when he showed me a few wines he was going to release at Cellar Door. And one of those wines was this Chardonnay 2022. I was immediately intrigued. It had a familiarity, and when I looked up he had a smile on his face. He was very happy with this one. And why not, the grapes were grown within yelling distance of what was Canobolas-Smith, where we saw many lovely ‘Chardies’ over time.
Cellar Door or contact me.
Web: www.strawhousewines.com.au
Phone: +61 402 498 419
Open: 12.00 to 5.00 Friday, Saturday and Sunday
“Fruit was crushed and destemmed into a closed fermenter where it underwent 2-3 pump overs a day until the end of ferment. Ferment was pressed and allowed a light settle before being racked to new and seasoned French oak for a 15 month barrel maturation. Colour is deep purple with vibrant red hues. The nose shows rich, youthful aromas of raspberry and blackcurrants backed by subtle herbaceous characters. To the palate with bold, bright delicious red fruit flavours of red cherry and cranberry. These translate to a medium bodied, intense, beautifully balanced and framed palate. Soft tannins from the French oak provide structure and texture. A medium bodied, delicious red wine with length, savouriness and complexity.”
“Enjoy with rich red meat dishes, or strong flavoursome cheeses, over the next 7 to 9 years.”
It’s been over a year since a Three Drops wine was included here which surprises me. February 2024. I was actually looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon or blend of, when I turned the page and saw this Cabernet Franc, a Bordeaux cousin at least. And remembered the 2018 version, a big show performer. Interesting enough I reckon.
Available to Retail.
Web: www.3drops.com
Phone: +61 8 9315 4721
Open: No Cellar Door
Address: PO Box 1828, Applecross, Western Australia, 6953.
65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. Colour is yellow / golden. An intense nose with some herbaceous notes. Honey bottle age characters, nice development. On the palate the mouth feel is full and soft with good intensity. Semillon gives texture, stone fruit characters and showing the benefits of ageing. Sauvignon Blanc exudes perfume and exotic fruits. The wine has a crisp acid backbone. Oak is a submissive partner but delivers further definite backbone to the wine.
No recommendation in the Notes. Grab a glass ASAP and enjoy a wine of ‘interest.’
“The vine canopy is divided so that the shoots grow up and down from the cordon in order to improve light interception and hence development of flavour during ripening while reducing any micro climate humidity. Minimal intervention was needed on the 25 year old Sauvignon Blanc at 130m above sea level. Both varieties were harvested in the coolest hours of the morning, the Sauvignon Blanc picked on March 8th to retain the fresh fruit characters and racy acidity, where the Semillon benefited from time on the vine to give the riper, more complex characters the region is renowned for and were picked on March 29th and April 1st. The varieties were vinified separately, selecting an aromatic yeast for the Sauvignon Blanc and a textural yeast for the Semillon. A portion was fermented in French oak barriques to provide some background complexities and textures. The final cuvee was assembled when all the wines had completed fermentation.”
Available to Retail.
Web: www.umamuestate.com
No Cellar Door.
All prices on this web site are in $AUD
Liquor Licence LIQP24009748
Trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Under the Liquor Act 2007, It is an offence to sell or supply to or to obtain liquor on behalf of a person under the age of 18 years.
You will be required to provide proof of age before any goods are shipped.
