SWTD August 2025
An elegant Soave made from hand-harvested and gently pressed grapes grown in the Soave denomination’s Classic zone, which embraces the venerable medieval town of Soave. A brilliant straw yellow colour precedes delicate aromas of white fruit, particularly apple; and delicious, balanced flavours on the palate.
Drink fresh on release or as soon as you get your hands on it.
It was white wines first, and Imports, at the Bacchus Tasting and the pourer was offering this and its sibling Soave first up. My initial reaction was more the chore than the resultant pleasant surprise. I recognised I had a preconceived notion regarding Soave. Making a note of this moment, I think I found my answer in an old book: Cyril Ray’s “The Wines of Italy. 1966.” The message from Cyril is: “one of the most highly regarded wines of Italy, made largely from Garganega grapes, but with about 20% Trebbiano. Many Italian wines are fermented on their skins, to give body and staying power, but the best Soave is made in the French way, which gives greater freshness and fragrance.” I gather that the quality of this wine is linked to the quotes. And from memory, I recall being told that the Trebbiano is a neutral variety, so that more than the 20% would dampen the ‘fragrance.’
Available to Retail.
Web: www.cantinasoave.it
Local Distributor: Bacchus Wine Merchant
Phone: 1300 309 773
Very short maceration. After three to four days, it was pressed to finish the fermentation in the absence of the skins. Bright red colour. Very clean and transparent wine. Good aromatic intensity and complexity. Intense floral aromas and fresh grotto, currant, blackberry and cherry characters. Light citrus aromas and subtle vegetable notes that complete the wide variety of aromas. On the palate it is medium in weight, with impressive tannin balanced by good acidity, and finishing long. Ideal to drink in the company of a delicious conversation.
“This is a wine to enjoy today. The expressiveness of the wine is greater the younger it is consumed.”
“In the interior of the Sierra de Enguera is the iconic Finca Tonuna. This 10 year-old irrigated vineyard gave us 4.5kg per vine. From deep soils, rich in organic matter, with a loamy structure, this singular Tempranillo with small grain is born.” Juan Ramon Inglesias. Producer and Manager Bodegas Enguera.
Available to Retail.
Web: www.bodegasenguera.com
Local Distributor: Bacchus Wine Merchant
Phone: 1300 309 773
Geddes Wines, established in 2007, is a unique winery where all the fruit is sourced locally in McLaren Vale by Tim personally. Having a relationship with growers not just a contract. ‘Tim takes great pride in getting to know the growers and stopping to have a beer with them – getting to know them as the characters they are. We can trace the footprints of the grapes down to the truck driver that delivered them and their lovely wives that keep them on the straight and narrow.’ [(From the Web page). The key to detail in this instance is obviously genuine and not just ‘marketing’. The winery is lucky enough to still be dealing with the original growers.] All wines are open fermented, gentle extraction and basket pressed to retrieve subtle tannins and generous fruit characters. A red fruit forward Shiraz, bright and vibrant in colour and aroma. With beautiful maraschino cherry, black pepper, damson plum and sage notes. This wine has a savoury and sweet oak palate from 24 months spent in 40% new French oak and finishes on a soft grained and velvety tannin.
“A young wine with a lot of potential to flourish with bottle age. Up to 10 years.”
An email from Nicholas Gibson earlier this year was the tip for me. Someone he knew alerted him to an updated, archived piece in the Adelaide publication IN Daily. The hook for me, it was by Philip White. I searched for “Go get Geddes Wines. One of the best kept secrets of McLaren Vale.” Unfortunately, today, I don’t see anyone who writes as well as White can. Informative, opinionated, touches of colour, always, and it flows. Wonderful.
Limited availability to retail.
Web: www.geddeswines.com.au
Phone: 0407 217 798
Open: Daily 10 to 5.
Address: 283 Blewitt Springs Road, Blewitt Springs, 5170.
55% Coonawarra and 45% McLaren Vale, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine maturation was 20 months in French and American Hogsheads. Approximately 20% new oak. The colour is deep ruby with brick red hues, showcasing excellent vibrancy for its vintage and maturity. Abundant varietal characters emerge from the glass, with aromas of tomato leaf, violets, capsicum and blackcurrant, complimented by earthy notes and cedar/cigar box nuances from the oak maturation. The palate is fine and silky from start to finish, with elegant herbaceous and berry fruit flavours flowing seamlessly across the mid palate. It concludes with exceptionally well balanced acidity. A wine to be savoured over a long and luxurious dinner.
Ten to fifteen years, with ease under screw cap.
I read somewhere that Geoff Merrill, these days, is able to hold back wines until it is felt they’re ready to be released. Interesting. To this, in the Notes: “Sourced from our own vineyards. ‘G’ is for Graymoor in the Coonawarra and ‘W’ for Wickham Park in McLaren Vale. The growing conditions of each site affords us the unique opportunity of being able to blend wines of what each region has to offer.” G.M.
Available to Retail.
Web: www.geoffmerrillwines.com.au
Phone: 08 8381 6877
Open: M to F 10.00 to 4.30, W/E 12 to 4.30
Address: 291 Pimpala Road, Woodcroft. S.A., 5162.
The colour is intense crimson red with bright blue hues. To the nose, ripe blackberry, blackcurrant, Cacao and subtle mint combined with a touch of spice and old English garden herbs. The palate shows an elegantly styled full bodied wine abundant in black fruits, mocha and velvety, dusty tannins. Perfectly balanced fine grained French oak, integrated with the fruit ensuing a refined and poised finish.
With careful cellaring, this wine will gracefully age for the next five to fifteen years.”
“Sourced from three dedicated and local families’ vineyards across Coonawarra. Each block of Cabernet Sauvignon fruit was carefully assessed for optimal ripeness, flavour and tannin development. The excellent spring combined with a great berry set provided a vintage with balanced yields and high quality fruit. The warm summer months followed by a beautiful long ‘Indian summer’ allowed the grapes to be harvested at optimal flavour and maturity.” Included in the Notes, and placed just above the ‘body’ of the on the page as if to make it’s point: “The Jack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is an ode to Coonawarra and the variety the region justifiably champions. This wine is sourced from only respected and passionate growers, whose premium grapes truly reflect the best our region has to offer.”
Available to Retail.
Web: www.jackestate.com
Phone: 08 8736 3130
No Cellar Door.
Address: 15025 Riddoch Highway, S.A., 5263.
Cool crushed fruit with some skin contact, inclusive of Gin Gin and UC Davis clones. The juice was settled for three days, racked and underwent fermentation with inoculated yeast and naturally. 100% of the juice was barrel fermented in French barriques, with 40% being new and lees stirred regularly. After 10 months in barrels, individual parcels were blended, lightly fined, stabilised and bottled. This wine bristles with energy, brightness and fragrance. Lime sherbet, pear and burnt lemon unfold effortlessly. Floral elements are expressed with wattle, frangipani and jasmine. Delicate layers of nougat, brioche, macadamia and chamomile offer sweet as well as savoury notes. A concentrated palate shows gentle layers, textures and contours whilst finger limes, peach flesh, nashi pear and lemon curd weave harmoniously throughout. Lace minerality, saline notes and iodine elements intertwine, and the finish is defined by fine, gentle acidity.
Nothing in the Notes, but with this pedigree five to eight years cellaring with ease.
“2023 was another exceptional Margaret River vintage. A long, warm and sunny summer encouraged the development of wonderful ripe grape bunches. Winter of 2022 was typically rainy and windy. A prolonged mid-late spring was cool, drizzly and cloudy. There was a rapid improvement of the weather in the second week of November, paving the way for a continuous run of the warm and sunny days through December to early April. Summer provided a long and perfect run for the ripening of grapes, with no heat spikes or thundery rain days.” While pondering over a Chardonnay for August, a timely email from Fesq, the local Distributor hit, the Inbox and that was that!
Available to Retail.
Web: www.leeuwinestate.com.au
Phone: 08 9759 000
Open: Daily 10 to 5.
Address: Stevens Road, Margaret River, Western Australia, 6286.
Grapes were gently pressed to minimise colour and phenolic extraction from the bronze (Grigio) skins. No acid addition was required. Cool fermentation temperature in stainless steel is maintained from go to whoa to maintain vibrancy and crisp aromatics. We picked a fantastic first vintage to source fruit from Wrattonbully. Cool, mild daytime temperatures particularly from veraison to harvest and minimal disease pressure have resulted in idealistic conditions for producing a high quality Pinot Grigio. Pale gold with a slight green hue. The nose shows fresh picked Buerra Bosc Pear and wild strawberries. On the palate: green apple, fennel bulb and fragrant musk.
“Drink now until 2028.”
“Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris. It’s the same grape with slightly different winemaking styles. Wines marked Pinot Grigio are typically made in an Italian style. Fruit picked early to retain freshness that produce dry, crisp and light bodied wines with citrus aromas. Gris can be richer, more full-bodied and sometimes sweet. We’ve sourced our fruit from Wrattonbully in the South East in South Australia for the first time in 2024, and a climate similar to Friuli-Venezia Guilia in Northern Italy, our favourite region for this variety. The limestone geology of Wrattonbully is also comparable to the limestone plateau of much of Friuli.”
Available to Retail.
Web: www.linoramble.com.au
Phone: 0402 475 622
Open: Daily 11 to 5.
Address: 148 McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale, S.A. 5171.
Grapes for this wine were sourced from two nearby regions: the Shiraz from along the banks of the Bremer River, Langhorne Creek and the Grenache from McLaren Vale. Vinification was done separately. The wine was then blended and aged in larger format (Puncheons) French and American Oak. Rich fruit bouquet and palate. I am sensitive to American oak and at first resisted trying the wine but Phil insisted and I quickly got his point. It doesn’t dominate. I reckon as a wine, it’s a bit of a ‘time traveller’ that takes me back to my first wines in the early 1970s.
“10years +.”
This Cellar Door is a breath of fresh air. It’s one of those ‘traditional’ set ups to which a lot of people would have no reference point. Fortified ground zero wines. It is ‘quaint,’ rustic, wonderfully simple and most importantly, very historic. I worked with Paddy (whose surname I forget) during the 1986 vintage at Glenloth Winery. It was the working winery for Wynns and Seaview in McLaren Vale. A site now fully residential. Paddy, at one time was the Distiller at Old Horndale which in 1986 was dormant. He encouraged me to go and have a look at the wonderful old buildings that made up the site. Today, they are still wonderful but under threat from Developers. Phil, the current owner and winemaker told me that Paddy is still going strong well into his nineties. Horndale Brandy perhaps? One of the valuable Historic Assets is the surviving single acre of Frontignac grapes. Circa 1890s.
Cellar Door or contact me.
Web: www.horndalewinery.com.au
Phone: 08 8387 0033
Open: Daily 11 to 5.
Address: 41-45 Fraser Avenue, Happy Valley, S.A., 5159.
A light, fresh and aromatic Riesling displaying lifted fruit characters. Lime, lemon, grapefruit with some floral notes. The palate displays structures acidity with citrus flavours through the long finish.
“Eight to ten years.”
“Eden Valley stands out as one of Australia’s premier cool-climate Riesling regions, offering elegant, mineral-lined wines with authentic terroir driven expression.” Also in the Notes: ‘’Suggested pairing with a fresh seafood selection of pickled octopus, oysters and a light salad.” I had the opportunity to taste this wine around about February this year at Nicholas Gibson’s place along with other Patritti wines. Straight away I thought it was very good value. Apart from it’s natural inclusion as a wine, the price was excellent and gave me a two point factor, an advantage for now.
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.
100% Sangiovese grapes were machine harvested and then fermented with a yeast called BM45, made famous in Tuscany for making great Brunello wines. The ferment temperatures reached and were maintained at 30°C. A hotter fermentation extracts maximum colour, flavour and tannin from the skins / fruit. This heat also helps soften the tannins in the wine through the polymerisation. Once the wine finishes alcoholic fermentation, the best free run wine is drained and allowed to settle for a day before being transferred to barrels for malic acid fermentation; and ageing for 14 months. The wine is brick red in colour with a cherry hue. There are initial notes of sweet mixed berry and red cherry on the nose which lead to spicy and earthy characters as the wine opens. The palate is rich and seductive with plums, cherries, hints of leather and the soft earthy notes we look for in this wine. The balance of fresh fruit and soft acidity, blended with savoury tannins, give this wine drink now and ageing capabilities.
Five to eight years.
“Pietra Rossa is Italian for ‘red stone,’ in reference to the iron oxide rich, rocky soils from which the fruit for this wine comes. The fruit is derived from our own leading Sangiovese vineyard sites. Vintage 2023 was one of the most challenging vintages for some time. It was cold and wet for most of the growing season, causing our soils to be wet and soggy. This gives rise to high disease pressure, which through careful management was avoided. Thankfully, the summer arrived in late December and dried out the vineyards allowing us to make some great wines in what was a tougher than normal year.”
Available to Retail.
Web: www.pizzini.com.au
Phone: 03 5729 8278
Open: Daily 10 to 5.
Address: 175 King Valley Road, Whitfield, Victoria, 3733.
This blended wine is made up of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon from our Rosehill block, 20% Malbec from the original Sevenhill property and also from the same source, 5% Cabernet Franc. Fermented separately, then blended. The wine received only six months in older French oak hogsheads. Aromas of blackcurrant, with a hint of capsicum, integrate seamlessly with the Malbec. The wine is tightly bound with fine, grippy tannins, that provide substance to the palate.
“A wine that will age gracefully up to 10 years.”
“The combination of a dry 2018 winter and a cold spring led to vines setting a lower than average crop. Prolonged dry conditions and events of extreme heat during January and February reduced yields even further. Picking commenced on 26th February and progressed at a frantic pace. With daytime temperatures reaching above 35°C for eight consecutive days, desired sugar levels were quickly reached.”
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.
85% Montepulciano and 15% ‘other grapes.’ Larger scale winemaking. Grapes grown between 400 to 600m on clay limestone soils. Hailing from the beautiful region of Abruzzo. Grapes for this wine were both hand and machine harvested, then destemmed. Fermentation was between 10-20 days at 25-26°C in 100 to 400 hl stainless steel tanks. The wine underwent Malolactic fermentation and was matured in tanks for 3-6 months and then bottled. The wine didn’t see any wood in production, which is its style. Colour is intensely red with a violet hue and bursting. Red fruit flavours on the nose, including blackberry and cherry. Fresh on the palate in transfer of blackberry, cherry and as well, raspberry.
A wine for now, on release, and the short term two to three years.
“Terre Forti is a brand of the Caviro Group founded in 1966 in Faenza, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna (North of Tuscany, down from Milan), to enhance the grapes of the members in a land rich in identity and with a high wine vocation.” Effectively a co-operative winemaking operation and on the surface, a walk away from ‘small winemaking’ beginnings here. These inclusions are the result of superior and significant value for money over what was previously a local strength. Inclusions complementing local small winemaking.
Available to Retail.
Web: www.terreforti.com
Local Distributor: Bacchus Wine Merchant
Phone: 1300 309 773
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.
