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EVERY TWO YEARS PRIMO ESTATE RELEASE THE JOSEPH SPARKLING RED. An Australian icon with dark, brooding opulence and layered complexity nurtured over many years, the modern history of Australian red wine in a bottle. The ultimate Christmas indulgence, a unique blend of museum vintages from the last forty years, treated to Methode traditionelle, rested on sediments, aged and liqueured with ultra fine ports. A powerful, yet graceful and lively sparkling red which, endowed with complexity, to take on intense flavours and festive occasions.
INSPIRED BY ELDER BOTTLES OF PEWSEY VALE RIESLING, Yalumba resolved to make an early harvest wine with lower alcohol, a fine balance of natural acids and idyllic levels of residual sugar. Prima is made from grapes picked three to four weeks before the rest of the vineyard. Chosen for their fine citrus flavours, grapes are carefully selected when their natural sugar levels are near 10° Baume. The wine is finished to a semi dry style which retains some of the fruit in balance with chalky mineral acidity, exhibiting purity of style, as it evoves layers of toastyness and spice.
FRESH FROM THE RYMILL STABLE, Yearling is a graceful one year old Cabernet, specially trained to present lively fruit aromas over a soft, supple structure, immediately upon release. Yearling explodes the myth that Coonawarra Cabernet needs to be cellared and aged before it's ready to drink. The softness and affability makes it the ideal partner to traditional red meats, intermediate dishes like pizzas, pastas or curry, versatile enough to accompany game and white meats. This vibrant and approachable Coonawarra Cabernet is perfect for enjoyment right now.
DOMINIQUE PORTET COMES FROM A GREAT LINEAGE OF NOTABLE WINEMAKERS, he clearly shines at Sauvignon Blanc, honing his style during tours of duty at Taltarni and Napa Valley's Clos du Val. Totally unworried about competition from across the Tasman, Portet's style of Sauvignon Blanc enjoys a growing demand in Qantas business class and throughout the world. Fashioned to be vital and exhilarating in it's youth, while appealing to those who are excited by what the French term a sauvage style of Sauvignon Blanc.
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In 1885 John
Francis Brown, aged 18 planted ten acres of mostly Riesling, Muscat and Shiraz grapes on his Milawa property, located in the lower reaches of the King Valley in North East Victoria
Milawa Vineyard is the birth place of the Brown Brothers company, the first Brown Brothers wines were released in 1889. Surrounding the cellar door, Milawa Vineyard is the fruit source for renowned wines such as Patricia Noble Riesling, Shiraz Mondeuse & Cabernet and Dolcetto. It is also home to Brown Brothers’ winemaking facilities where grapes are received, crushed and made into quality wine. The current expanse of Brown Brothers vineyards, now located throughout Victoria, are as varied as the wines and wine styles.
Within a 50km radius of Milawa, climatic conditions range from cool alpine areas to lush temperate valleys to sun drenched plains. Each of the vineyards have been selected on the basis of their suitability for the variety or wine style. Varietal diversity through the Brown Brothers range provides a point of difference and offers consumers the ability to experiment across a range. Brown Brothers Whitlands VineyardOne of Australia's highest and coolest vineyards Whitlands was planted initially with several varieties and extensive experimental vines to determine the impact of soil and climate on ripening and flavour development. The outstanding fruit has been Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay for sparkling wine base. While small parcels of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, are left to ripen fully for table wine, these form only small parcels and only reach their full potential in warmer years. Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc also excel in this slow ripening environment, developing complex lifted aromas and flavour. Future developments are expected to reflect the success of sparkling wine and the cool climate, aromatic varieties.Brown Brothers Milawa VineyardThe traditional original vineyard has historically grown an extensive range of varieties, but with the development of the King Valley, the emphasis has been on the success factors of the vineyard - Riesling for our luscious dessert wine, Noble Riesling and Mondeuse for our Shiraz Mondeuse and Cabernet. Dolcetto covers the entire King Park Vineyard (4.85ha) with another 8.28ha at Milawa. Graciano plantings have also been increased with approximately 12.2ha now in the ground. The Hurdle Creek Vineyard which had 6ha of Riesling for Noble Riesling has been expanded with a further 18.3ha.Brown Brothers Banksdale VineyardAn ambitious new vineyard of 143 hectares, begun in 1995. The site has been carefully chosen for these varieties, being midway between the coolness of Whitlands and the warmer valley floor. The desire is to achieve highly structured, flavoursome fruit, which will add depth and complexity to existing fruit sources from contracted growers in the adjacent valleys.Brown Brothers Mystic Park VineyardIn the Sun drenched Murray Valley, the Company's warmest growing site that has become crucial in the development of generous flavoured fruit such as Tarrango, Orange Muscat, Flora, Dolcetto and Crouchen. These varieties thrive in this environment and regularly produce good crops of excellent fruit. The vineyard also grows excellent crops of Shiraz for table wine, Grenache for Port production with Colombard and Shiraz regularly contributing to the consistency of our softpack wine.
Moppity Vineyards s
is a flagship producer of the Hilltops region, rocketing to prominence after claiming some of the most coveted prizes in winemaking
Hilltops is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting viticultural regions in Australia. Viticulturally, the region can be summarised as Barossa meets the Grampians, power and concentration with elegance and finesse. The 170 acre Moppity Vineyard sits at the highest elevation in the Hilltops and the fully mature vines are among the oldest in the region. Moppity have embraced the philosophy that great wines are made in the vineyard. Moppity's team attempt to promote the somewhereness of site. There's nothing generic about the wines, they reflect unique geographic origins. Moppity wines are the ultimate expression of soil and micro-climate. They are different from the wines of other regions and different from the wines of other Hilltops producers.
Every effort is made in the vineyard to promote fruit quality. Minimal irrigation, bunch thinning and careful pruning ensures low yields of highly concentrated fruit, providing wines of great flavour intensity and regional and varietal distinction. The original plantings were established in the 1970s and are some of the oldest vines in southern New South Wales. Moppity's Reserve wines are typically sourced from the old, gnarly, low yielding vines. These old boys don't deliver much fruit but it's wonderfully concentrated. As they say, old vines make great wines! The vineyard is situated on dark red volcanic granitic clays, impregnated with basalt. Moppity have 170 acres under vine spread over 450 acres of undulating terrain. Plantings include shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, nebbiolo, chardonnay, riesling, semillon and viognier. There are multiple clones of each variety, five different shiraz clones as an example, each features distinct qualities. The result is a tremendous diversity in wine style depending on site, aspect, soil type and vine clone. The Hilltops climate is cool to moderate. Summer rainfall is low, so the growers can control vigor and optimise flavour development. The vines generally have the benefit of a long, even ripening period - this supports flavour and colour development and underpins the intensity of Moppity's wines. Although early spring frost is an issue in the district, the Moppity Vineyards are sited on undulating terrain, ensuring adequate frost drainage. Moppity's Reserve range is made in small quantities in only the very best years. The inaugural release in vintage 2006 was a Shiraz, which set the wine world alight winning top gold medal at the prestigious London International Wine Competition. The Estate range is sourced from the very finest fruit on the vineyard (unless a little makes the grade for the Reserve label). The focus is very much on quality and generally only around 5% of the crop will be allocated the the Estate range. No expense is spared in the winery and the wines have won numerous awards and critical acclaim. The Lock & Key range is named in reference to Jason Brown's 2nd fleet convict lineage and pays tribute to humble beginnings. They are single vineyard wines from mature, low yielding vines and represent remarkable value.
Bleasdale is Australia's
second oldest, still functioning family owned winery. Bleasdale's wines are the stuff of legend and receive accolades around the world every year
Established in 1850 by English migrant Frank Potts, the Bleasdale vineyards are situated on the fertile flood plains of the Bremer River which run parallel to Langhorne Creek. The area is a low rainfall, cool climate region which produces outstanding wines year after year. Ironically, it was Frank Potts abilities as a sailor that led him to Langhorne Creek to live the life of a landlubber. He saw the potential of the region when he explored it in the 1850s, convinced that the stands of tall red gums promised fertile soils and reliable water. Being a nautical man, it's not surprising that Frank Potts chose to plant a vineyard in a place that for a week or two occasionally becomes an inland sea. He planted his first vines in 1858 selling wine to Thomas Hardy, before expanding his holdings to 30 acres in the 1860s. Since Pott's founding efforts, Langhorne Creek's alluvial soils and favourably cool climate, nurtured by maritime breezes, has attracted many famous winemakers.
Langhorne Creek experiences natural floods from the high rainfall that gushes out of the Adelaide Hills and heads towards the sea from time to time. It occurred to Frank that with the addition of floodgates across the river he could control the water for a short period and give his vines a deep soaking drink just before the parching Australian summer. Langhorne Creek receives an average annual rainfall of just 380mm per year and flood events provide enough moisture in the rich deep soil profile of the flood plain to carry vines in these areas through the dry summer months. The majority of the vast vineyard plantings use modern and efficient drip and sub-surface irrigation practices to maintain the water needs of the vines. Bleasdale is today still owned and operated by the Potts family, the fifth generation of winemakers. They lead a dedicated winemaking and cellar team who are very proud of their work. When you've been around for six generations of winemaking you accumulate innate viticultural skills and an affinity to the environment. Access to water, coupled with cooling breezes from Lake Alexandrina reduce evening temperatures and provide mild even growing seasons, making Langhorne Creek the ideal wine growing region. Despite this, much of the Langhorne Creek's fruit went into multi-regional blends and wasn't acknowledged until the 1990s when a small group of long term family growers, including Bleasdale, started promoting pure Langhorne Creek wines. Traditionally a red wine grape region best known for full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends, as well as elegant Shiraz, the region also produces exceptional white and fortified wines. Langhorne Creek is now the centre of a vibrant grape growing and winemaking community which regularly wins national and international awards. The historic Bleasdale cellars, constructed from red gum and limestone, have been classified by the National Trust and are listed on the State and National Heritage Registers. The ancient winery houses a massive red gum lever press which fifth generation winemaker, Michael Potts still uses once a year to make a small batch, limited release wine. Whilst Bleasdale is steeped in yesterday's history it has been outfitted with the latest technology. Today's winery still abides by the family traditions, retaining the philosophy of producing honest, consistent and reliable wines. Watch for the cobwebs as you clamber down the old redgum ladder into the bowels of Bleasdale winery. Duck your head and enter the old domed cellar built in 1892 and gaze around the walls at French and American oak puncheons, hogsheads and barriques, brim full of Cabernet and Shiraz. They are all destined for Bleasdale's super premium Frank Potts and Generations flagships, but that's years away. For now each parcel of each variety is matured separately, with up to 200 different wines all expressing their own individuality based on microclimate and soil.
Three superior old
vineyard sites - the secret behind Bests Wines
Best's Victorian enterprise comprises three sister vineyards: The Grand Matriarch and headquarters, Concongella at Great Western, St Andrew's at Lake Boga and the baby Salvation Hills at Rhymney Reef. Each vineyard produces distinctly different grape characteristics from vines aged from five to 135 years. Together they add fascinating facets, contrasts and diversity to Bests stable of wine.
Twenty-one hectare Concongella, enjoys a cool temperate climate.
The newest, 22-hectare Salvation Hills also in the Great Western region is slightly cooler while the third, 28- hectare St. Andrews, lies 237 km further north near Lake Boga in the Swan Hill region and has a warm, temperate climate. Bests Concongella Vineyard at Great Western was established in 1866. The 'Concongella' estate takes its name from the picturesque Concongella creek that lazily meanders beside the vineyard. Meanwhile the premier wine-growing region of Great Western ("one of the best in the country" notes wine writer Hugh Johnson) takes its name from the nearby old gold mining village of Great Western, some 240km west of the City of Melbourne. Unique factors of soil and climate contribute to Best's success. The land along the creek is flat with a powdery, limey loam overlaying a deep clay sub-soil while newer plantings are cited on a frost-free gravel hill. Climatically cold to very cold winters, and frequently dry and cool summers, with occasional bursts of hot weather, are the norm. Viv Thomson believes a little stress concentrates grape flavour, at Concongella it happens naturally. Despite these natural adversities, Concongella consistently produces high quality grapes of intense flavour. The vineyard is a blend of old and new plantings, Shiraz, Pinot Meunier, Dolcetto and Rhine Riesling being among the former and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the latter. Best's St Andrew's Vineyard at Lake Boga was established in 1930. The more stable and reliable weather conditions at St. Andrews complements the more rigorous and diverse climatic Concongella conditions. The limestone soils of St. Andrews, together with the warm, dry climate produce smooth, fresh soft wines with above average fruit flavours which Bests often enhance with touches of quality oak. |
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