Country: Australia Region: Yarra Valley Varietal: Syrah/Gamay Vintage: 2016Colour: Red Style: DryProducer: De Bortoli Estate
Description:De Bortoli Wines established the Yarra Valley Estate in 1987, acquiring some of the oldest plantings in the region and a brilliant piece of land to grow vines and make premium cool climate wine. Their award-winning range of premium, often single vineyard wines are crafted to reflect their philosophy that good wine starts in the vineyard and captures a true sense of place.
De Bortoli La Boheme Act Four Syrah Gamay is an aromatic, textural wine in homage to the French bistro. As winemaker Steve Webber says ‘this Syrah is so different from most Aussie Shiraz it’s not even funny’.
Winemaking: A mixture of whole bunches and whole berries with some early foot stomping to create some juice to start the wild ferment. Some additional working of the skins toward the end of fermentation. Pressed and racked to 500 litre casks for 10 months.
Tasting Notes:Deep red with purple edge. Red and black fruits with hints of spice. Supple, textural, cherry like fruits, earth and forest notes, lots of spice, perky acidity on the palate .Delicious, complex yet easy drinking.
Food Matches: Classic bistro wine – ethereal, aromatic, textural, sophisticated and so easy to pair with food. They’re wines with poise and charm. Enjoy with friends over a few plates of tapas.
Country: Australia Region: Margaret River
Varietal: 54% Sauvignon Blanc - 43% Semillon - 3% Verdelho
Vintage: 2023 Colour: White Style: Dry
Producer: Cullen
Description:Founded in 1971 by Di and Kevin Cullen, the wine-making is now managed by their daughter Vanya. Passion and a strong sense of responsibility to the land define Vanya's biodynamic approach to viticulture, while pioneering environmental initiatives led to Cullen becoming Australia's first carbon neutral winery in 2007.The Mangan vineyard, which is owned and managed by Rick Cullen, is dry farmed and maintained using a biodynamic approach to viticulture. Soils are old, granite and gravelly sandy loam, overlaying lateric subsoils.All grapes were dry farmed, hand-harvested and sorted before crushing. The Sauvignon Blanc was part fermented in barriques with indigenous yeast, while the remainder was fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain the fresh aromatics. The Semillon was entirely fermented in tank to keep the varietal freshness. Six per cent of the blend was matured in two year old oak barrels for nine months to further enhance the complexity of the blend.
Tasting Note:Brilliant, pale straw with green tinges. Pungent, piercing and linear on the nose, combining intense cut grass slate and citric aromas. The palate is mouthfilling, with an attractive blend of grassy, mineral, citrus and white peach flavours. The delicious middle palate flavours lead in to a long and particularly fine acid finish.
Food Matches: Fish/ White meat/ aperitif