Margaret River has cordially received the native Verdelho grape of Portugal, to make it, it's very own. Small wonder, as the maritime climes and sultry Indian Ocean breezes stimulate the vines with ideal conditions to ripen fully and develop maximum fruit flavour. Ashbrook is one of the oldest producers in Margaret River and has been fashioning Verdelho wines of some import for over a quarter of a century. The vineyard is now fully mature and yielding the finest Verdelho.

$2299each $273DOZEN EACH DOZEN Verdelho first came to prominence in the early days of West Australian viticulture when the patriarch of Swan Valley winemakers, Jack Mann, saw the potential of the variety for making fresh, lively table wines which are immediately approachable yet agemagnificently. The development of Margaret River saw Verdelho planted to cooler environs, encouraging the grape to develop fully it's unique varietal characters. Surrounded by large eucalypts trees, the mild, sunny growing seasons of Ashbrook Estate accentuate the fruit flavours and natural crisp acidity of Verdelho. The vines yield grapes with exceptional concentration of fruit, vinified unoaked and unwooded, to express essential fruit character.

Pale green/ straw colour. Ashbrook displays varietal bouquets of orange and passionfruit. The palate mirrors the aromatics, the naturally assertive acidity of Verdelho complements the elegant flavours and gives the wine a refreshing finish. An excellent depth and fullness of fruit, Ashbrook is sure to develop attractive honeyed characters. But who can wait? Serve chilled as the perfect accompaniment to fresh seafood and spicy cuisine.

Frank Potts planted Verdelho cuttings from the isle of Madeira on the rich alluvial flood plains of Langhorne Creek in the 1860s. Today, Bleasdale's Verdelho is fast emerging as one of Langhorne Creek's most savoury and pleasant drink now whites. Some of the grapes are hand picked from vines over eighty yeas of age. An estery, lifted fruit style of Verdelho wine, unwooded and dry, crisp and refreshing with zippy acidity and ripe fruit salad flavours, seasoned by a touch of lithe perfumed grassyness.

$1699each $201DOZEN EACH DOZEN Bleasdale is Langhorne Creek's founding winework and Australia's second oldest family owner/ operated winemaking estate. The grumpy and shy bearing old vines which yield some of the nation's finest Verdelho deserve respect. In the cool of the night you'll find Michael and Robbie Potts with their merry band of growers, carefully harvesting the wonderful old vines fruit. The early ripening Verdelho is treated to low temperatures throughout the vinification process, producing a crisp white wine which exudes lifted fruit salad aromas and lively tropical and citrus flavours. Fermented to dryness and bottled whilst young to capture the freshness and vital herbaceous characters, so important to the finished wine. Alcohol 12.5%

Light green straw hue. Fresh lifted aromas of lemon zest with floral notes and hints of fresh herb. Zippy bouquets packed with loads of fragrant orange blossom, melon and kiwi fruits. The palate follows through with ripe lemon and lime citrus flavours, complexed by stonefruits, a fresh zippy acidity and extra length. Broad in texture, with floral characters and a gentle leafyness that opens up, lingering on the citrus finish. The rich and lively fruit on the palate, working in fine tandem with a wildly refreshing acid, make Potts Catch a natural food wine in it's youth, to be enjoyed alongside fish and seafood recipes.

Bleasdale was established in 1850, is classified by the National Trust and is listed on the State and National Heritage Registers. Fully conversant with the soils, the microclimates and the cycle of flooding which nourishes the unique terroir of the estate's vineyards, fifth generation winemaker Michael Potts cultivates the old Grenache and Verdelho vines destined for inclusion into the Wise Old Tawny. A smooth rich Port wine full of rancio and nutty flavours obtained through a slow maturation over many years under small oak casks.

$1599each $189DOZEN EACH DOZEN Assembled from a reserve of barrel aged wines from various vintages, Wise Old Tawny is a mostly Grenache fortified wine with smaller components of Shiraz, Red Frontignac and Verdelho, in roughly equal measure. The historic cellars where the wine is aged were originally constructed with redgum members and limestone blocks. Today the cellar still houses a massive redgum lever press which fifth generation winemaker, Michael Potts uses to make his small batch wines. Though steeped in history, Bleasdale has installed the latest winemaking technology to retain the best qualities of matured reserve wines, whilst delivering to the connoisseur an authentic Fine Old Tawny of consistency and value. Alcohol 18.5%

Colour has developed into a nut red-brown. Appealing bouquets of plum and ginger, sticky figs and ripe date puddings, smokey peat and fine spirit. On the palate lie characters of treacle and walnut, marmalade, beef suet and orange rind, notes of unslated roast nuts and sweet black cherries, strawberry and hints of maple. The wine is deep and rich, the alcohol soothing and suitably attired, flavoursome and beautifully focused, the tannins whisper past with a sigh of relief at being unnoticed. Tawny rancio characters, old barrels and history, Old and Wise and complex, yet offering much freshness and vivacity for such a well developed wine. It calls for Stilton, after dinner coffee, and liquored chocolatey desserts.

Western Australia has enjoyed a long and salubrious history with Verdelho, with a succession of the nation's finest vintages. Capel Vale have made the most of their baronial expanse of vineyards, to find the perfect sites for the establishment of superior Verdelho vines. Made to measure for whole roasted birds, pine nut risotto and good Al fresco faire, a revitalizing Verdelho wine at it's very best, fruit forward and refreshingly unoaked.

$1699each $201DOZEN EACH DOZEN Capel Vale own and operate many vineyard sites across the premier viticultural precincts of Western Australia. Each vineyard grows the varieties of grape which are most appropriate for the climate and terroir. They played an important role in the establishment of the West Australian wine industry and the recognition of southwestern Australia as a premium winegrowing region. Verdelho is harvested at optimum ripeness, grapes are crushed and destemmed, the musts are chilled and dejuiced. After three days of cold settling, batches are racked off into fermenters and introduced to an yeast. Vinifications are halted early to preserve the natural grape sugars, to add body and enhance fruit characters in the finished wine.

Light pale straw hue. Tropical fruit nose of mango, apricots and guava, preserved lemon and scents of nut. Intense lemon lime flavours on the palate, fully rounded and balanced mouthfeel complemented by sweet fruit characters, finishing pleasantly dry, lingering and clean. A match to mild Asian curries, roast duck, or chorizo with puy lentils.

Verdelho originated in Portugal and has acclimatized itself well to the McLaren Vale's maritime climes. One of the very first varietals planted in McLaren Vale circa 1825, Verdelho is a beguiling variety, its generous and vibrant characters evoke an array of stylistic influences, making it a highly fashionable wine with wide versatility. Chapel Hill showcases the three distinct flavour profiles of Verdelho, grassy, pungent characters, tropical fruit flavours and beautifully scented honeysuckle blossom perfumes.

$1999each $237DOZEN EACH DOZEN Grapes are sourced from the Chapel Hill Kangarilla property, located along the foot hills at the base of Mt Lofty Ranges. The gully winds and higher altitude create a cooler mesoclimate than the McLaren Vale floor. Some vines are fully shaded and picked early for grassy herbaceous characters. Another portion is harvested at medium ripeness for it's tropical fruit salad flavours and the balance is left to hang until full bloom of honeysuckle is achieved. The wine is bottled immediately after fermentation to protect this unique flavour profile. Grapes are cold pressed and racked, free run juices are cool fermented in tank without barrel ageing, completely unwooded and unoaked. Alcohol 12.5%

Deep straw green, a richly hued wine. Expressions of kaffir lime leaf, gooseberry and honeysuckle, guava and passionfruit. Verdelho's luscious, generous and vibrant flavour renders it perfectly compatible to a myriad of cuisines and occasions. A consequence of the phased harvesting, Chapel Hill displays an intriguing array of flavours, complex stonefruits and buttered toast, the characteristic honey tones continue to soften demonstrably. A flavoursome luncheon white that's equally comfortable alongside robust foods like stir fries, chilli or crispy pork.

Chestnut Grove has developed a fine reputation for producing one of Australia's best examples of cool climate Verdelho. The growing conditions and excellent soil types of the Chestnut Grove vineyards, produce intensely flavoured, fresh topical characters, and juicy forward drinking wines. Complexity is purely fruit derived in this dashing Verdelho Cuvée, enhanced by a smaller proportion of Sauvignon Blanc, it shows good intensity of ripe tropical fruit, guava, gooseberry, passionfruit and spice. A fruity white with a crisp dry finish.

$1999each $237DOZEN EACH DOZEN All parcels are handled with the aim of retaining the unique, pristine fruit flavours of Verdelho grapes without any complicating winemaking derived influences. A range of winemaking techniques are employed, aimed at the retention of primary fruit characteristics, focused on maintaining cool temperatures for the fruit at harvest, to transport to the winery, through to pressing. Viniculture between midnight and midday, the juice is only ever handled under cover of inert gas to avoid air contact. Cool fermentation temperatures were maintained to minimise the influence of yeast on the flavour profiles. Post ferment the wine was racked off lees promptly, before blending and fining, stabilisation and filtration. Approx 14.5%

A rich, immediately appealing wine, with very good concentration of tropical, stone fruit flavours. Gooseberries with subtle spicy / savoury hints almost reminiscent of white pepper add complexity. The balanced palate offers luscious tropical fruit notes that linger on a fresh, crisp, clean finish.

One wild and windy night as a group of explorers were crossing Wollombi brook, misfortune struck Cockfighter, the lead horse. He became bogged in river quicksand and drowned despite all efforts. A fateful night that gave birth to the legend of Cockfighter's Ghost. Hunter Valley Verdelho has made a name for itself as Australia's most distinctive style of unwooded dry white. Cockfighter's Ghost source fuit from vines which thrive in the sandy loam soils of Hunter Valley, to deliver a generous Verdelho wine with vibrant aromatics and vivid fruit flavours.

$1699each $201DOZEN EACH DOZEN The winemaking team at Cockfighter's Ghost endeavour to manage their vineyards in the most environmentally sustainable manner, to achieve stylish and popular pure varietal wines which can best represent the unique expressions of Hunter Valley's splendid terrior. The most exacting standards of viticulture are essential to retain the healthiest vines and ensure consistent yields of the finest fruit. Harvest takes place throughout the cool of night to retain maximum freshness. Grapes are delivered to the wineworks at Pokolbin for immediate crushing and pressing. Batches are racked and treated to a temperature controlled tank fermentation at 16°C, followed by a spell of cold settle and bottling.

Pale straw green colour. Lifted musk fruit aromas. Flavours of rockmelons and mango, guava and pineapple flow onto the palate, combining with fresh acidity to provide a dry and crisp, well balanced finish. A fresh, dry white for immediate enjoyment, an ideal aperitif or a perfect accompaniment to white fleshed meats and Asian cuisine.

One of Australia's most satisfying and consistent, dry Verdelho wines, expressing fine varietal characters, refreshing and crisp with good palate weight and solid structure delivered by the quality fruit and vinification. A superfine construct from the best Victorian vineyards, displaying dry and spicey tropical aromas with hints of white peach. David Traeger will continue to make one of Australia's most popular Verdelho wines well into the future, it always offers mouthfilling flavours of cooler climate orchard fruit, complimenting acids and a lingering, stylish finish.

$1699each $201DOZEN EACH DOZEN Something of a signature for David Traeger, his Verdelho remains a stylistic hallmark for Australia. The unique qualities of the Verdelho grape as vinified by the likes of Traeger have achieved a national marketing edge. From an award winning history at Michelton, Traeger struck out on his own, producing one of the country's most widely recognized pure varietal wines. Fruit is sourced from specialised sites which are husbanded to yield grapes which can meet the exacting standards of a demanding winemaker, the Avenel vineyard at Nagambie Lakes and from good sites in King Valley. Bottled early without any oak influence, all handling is completely reductive to aid in retaining vibrant fruit character.

Green gold in colour. This crisp clear white has lemon and lime aromas with a touch of white peach on the nose and a lingering display of spice. Clean scents of avocado and snow pea, a nuance of honeycomb. The fascinating bouquet is followed by rich fruit salad flavours, a touch of upfront flintyness brings with it a flavoursome crisp palate, excellent mouthfeel and good length. Drinking beautifully now alongside all good food.

Deen De Bortoli created his Vat Series with the idea of fashioning a range of delicious, full flavoured wines that are approachable to all. Vat 6 is constructed to be an early drinking Verdelho with a bit of palate weight and fine complexity. De Bortoli are well positioned for this type of wine, full bodied and pleasingly dry, the Verdelho of choice to accompany luncheon seafood or a freshly grilled chicken breast tossed into spinach & basil caesar.

$999each $117DOZEN EACH DOZEN All care is taken in the vineyard to encourage the development of distinctive varietal characters in the grapes. Verdelho is sourced off four main blocks around the Griffith area. The winemakers seek fruit with flavour intensity and good acid structure for this style of wine. A small percenatge of Sauvignon Blanc is added for complexity. Juices are cold settled and racked to fermentation at moderate temperatures to preserve fresh fruit characters. A component is vinified in seasoned French oak barriques, achieving fullness and complexity, palate weight and mouthfeel. The finished wine spends a year on yeast lees to soften and infuse lovely texture. Alcohol 13.3%

Straw in colour. Vat 6 has an inviting honeysuckle perfume mingled with tropical fruit and a background of nutty oak. On the palate with A fresh vibrant wine with creamy textures, balanced acidity and luscious varietal fruit. Enjoy with seafood or spicy dishes, Vat 6 is excellent with a well made, gourmandise good fish and chips.

Houghton operate many of Western Australia's most bountiful vineyards. Nature however plays the biggest role in creating a late harvest wine with lingering ripe fruit characters, supporting acidity and exquisite balance. This exciting Verdelho wine is creamier and nuttier than most, almost Alsace in character, it exudes a perfumed nose of hazelnut and lychee before a generous palate brimming with ripe and developed, elegant fruit flavours followed by a crisp clean finish, making it the ideal accompaniment to consomme, desserts and high tea.

$1499each $177DOZEN EACH DOZEN Houghton's diversity of vineyards throughout the length and breadth of Western Australia's viticultural precincts present a rare opportunity for the winemaking team to select the right fruit for each individual style. Late picked grapes make for richer wines. Each contributing mesoclime infuses the berries with unique characters. Verdelho is harvested throughout the cool of night to capture the luscious flavours which evolve late in the season. Fruit is crushed, pressed and chilled before draining. Juices are vinified at cooler temperatures to retain freshness. Following fermentation, the wine is prepared with minimal handling and fining prior to early bottling, retaining all the exuberant late harvest flavours. Approx 11.0%

Bright appearance, light straw hue. Fresh and clean with tropical fruit aromas, rich on the palate with good texture, displaying tropical characters all the way to a fruity, full flavoured finish.

Moondah Brook can boast an unbroken succession of superb vintages ever since inaugural release, and can lay claim to consistently delivering one of Australia's most popular Verdelho wines. This unique grape was originally planted on the Moondah Brook property near Gin Gin in the 1960s from much earlier cuttings along the Swan Valley where Verdelho thrives in the warm and sunny climes. Every year, Moondah Brook just gets better, and no discerning white wine enthusiast's chiller should be without a bottle or two of Moondah Brook's invigorating Verdelho.

$1399each $165DOZEN EACH DOZEN Moondah Brook is a contemporary range of varietal wines within the Houghton group, sourcing fruit from vineyards throughout the greater Swan and Frankland River regions. Verdelho is a versatile varietal that bridges the gap between a light, food friendly aromatic wine with something more full bodied. Moondah Brook sets the benchmark, showcasing Verdelho's characteristic flavours and gentle acids, with just the right amount of weight on the palate. Moondah Brook's vineyards yield the finest Verdelho grapes, harvested throughout the coolest hours of morning and night to preserve the vital fruit characters, crushed, inoculated and fermented under strict temperature controls to retain freshness. Approx 13.0%

Pale straw with tinges of green. A bouquet of lively tropical fruit, guava, pineapple and passionfruit with underlying citrus and hints of gooseberry. Intense fresh fruit flavours continue on the palate, a long finish is balanced by fresh acidity. Fashioned to be a splendid drink immediately upon release, Moondah Brook will continue to develop, but why wait? Enjoy now with spicey Asian or the freshest seafood.

An assemblage of Verdelho and Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, much from the Swan Valley, an area well suited to yields of aromatic fruit. The main influences are the warm, dry summers, the cumulative effect of successive years of drought, and the cooling maritime winds from the Indian Ocean.

$1499each $177DOZEN EACH DOZEN Aromatic white grapes grow very well in the warmer climes which prevail in the Swan Valley and cooler climes of Margaret River. Given the balmy conditions, grapes have been picked a little greener than they normally would, translating into a grassier and more herbaceous edge to the wine with a somewhat fresher and crisper mouth feel, than would exist had the fruit been left to ripen to full maturity. Grapes are harvested throughout the cool of night, immediately processed and treated to a long, slow vinification in tank by a number of select strains of yeast. At the end of fermentation the wine was promptly assembled and stabilised, filtered and bottled whilst vibrant, young and fresh.

Pale lemon colour with a lime tint. Fresh lifted nose, quite honeydew melon in profile. Crisp, dry white wine with clean fruit, balanced acidity and a soft finish. A drink now wine, to be served well chilled whilst young and alive, on its own or with the freshest faire.