Saumaize-Michelin Pouilly-Fuisse “Clos sur la Roche” is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Produced from the oldest parcel of the estate dating back from 1979 and planted on the slopes of the Vergisson Rock, "Clos sur la Roche" benefits from a south sun exposure. This beautiful Chardonnay offers abundant floral and white fruit aromas, toasty and buttery notes and brioche scents. Well-balanced and concentrated on the palate with a rich structure and refreshing notes of zesty lemon and mineral purity that brings a vibrant energy to the finish.
Complex aromas of soft citrus fruits and minerals. Densely packed and fresh, with intense, complex flavors of white fruit as well as a hint of spice. The finish is very firm, long but not dry.
This site is now a Premier Cru!
Schramsberg Brut Rosé is fruitful, complex and dry, making it both versatile with food and delicious by itself as an apéritif. The character of the wine is most strongly influenced by bright, flavorful Pinot Noir grown along the coast from southern Mendocino County to northern Marin County.
Reviews:
"These bubbles are fresh and zesty, with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, apricot, orange creamsicle and blood orange zest on the nose. Creamy, super-firm and tiny bubbles mark the midpalate, while flavors of pink grapefruit and guava overtake the mouthfeel. The massive acidity, salinity and mouthwatering finish make one want to eat and drink more."
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Schwarz Meta Mataro is made from 100% Mataro (a.k.a. Mourvedre).
Meta: An abstraction from a well-known concept. Fruit sourced from Bethany and Marananga.
Dark, spicy and built for max expression. Built over a foundation of blackberry and red plums this is a punch, expressive Mataro of spice rubbed meat, tea smoke and beef jerky. All dark, brooding and masculine in its fragrance, the palate is expansive with punchy tannin and sweet cinnamon spice.
Coming from 2 different vineyards. Average age of the vines is 90 years old for the first parcel and 70 years old for the second parcel. Hand-picked, wild yeast, 72% whole bunch.
Minimal use of Oak, the majority is aged in tank in order to avoid oxydation.
Pairs with pizza, pasta, burger, charcuterie and mild cheese.
Review:
A gorgeous, glossy purple hue. Saturated dark fruit scents melding with smoked meat and violet. The tannins, a ferrous timbre. This has no pretence. Just an honest Mataro, scented with fidelity, extracted appropriately and easy to drink. Delicious! - Ned Goodwin"
- Halliday Wine Companion (August 2020), 95 pts
Schwarz Nitschke Block Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
This Bethany vineyard was planted by Jason Schwarz's parents in 1968 and has been tended to by the hands of his family ever since. The vines are dry-grown and produce small crops of intensely flavored fruit.
A display of the purest blood-plum and black cherry, with cracked black peppercorn and streaky bacon over some seriously fine oak. Some subtle herbaceous qualities, nettle and thyme bring life to an otherwise immense nose. Very juicy on the palate, deeply flavorsome, long and with mouth-coating tannin for a very textured, very focused Barossa classic.
Slow cooked beef ribs, grilled meats, wild game and grilled vegetables.
Review:
"All the good stuff: dry-grown and fermented under the aegis of wild yeast; a smattering of whole-bunch seasoning (25%), French oak (20% new), conferring poise, freshness and authority. As far as Barossa shiraz goes, this is benchmark. Plush but nicely taut. A stream of boysenberry fruit and violet scents sashay to a samba of thyme, tapenade and smoked meats, nicely avoiding any sense of reduction, or clunky jam. This is smart. Very. - Ned Goodwin"
- Halliday Wine Companion (August 2020), 96 pts
Schwarz Nitschke Block Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
This Bethany vineyard was planted by Jason Schwarz's parents in 1968 and has been tended to by the hands of his family ever since. The vines are dry-grown and produce small crops of intensely flavored fruit.
A display of the purest blood-plum and black cherry, with cracked black peppercorn and streaky bacon over some seriously fine oak. Some subtle herbaceous qualities, nettle and thyme bring life to an otherwise immense nose. Very juicy on the palate, deeply flavorsome, long and with mouth-coating tannin for a very textured, very focused Barossa classic.
Slow cooked beef ribs, grilled meats, wild game and grilled vegetables.
Review:
From a single 55-year-old vineyard in the Bethany subregion of Barossa, this is a modern, finessed and approachable Shiraz, with open-knit aromas of succulent red and black berries, florals, clove and earthy spice. The palate shows restraint and silkiness. Fine tannins are neatly woven between the juicy fruit. Drink now or cellar up another decade or so.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Schwarz The Grower Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
Dedicated to all the Growers we work with, whose hard work and dedication to their craft enable us to purchase lucious fruit year after year. The Grower range is a testament to the amazing growers Jason has forged long-term relationships with since 2001.
The full spectrum of Barossa Shiraz's aromatic capability is here on show: from scorched earth, bitter couverture chocolate just-dried raisin, sweet red licorice and cola bean, all heady, defined and un-wound for all to see. Here. The fine line between luxurious fruit and energy is walked gracefully, it's warming and full-blooded nature tethered by lifted acidity.
Pair with marbled steak or rich beef stews, roast beef, grilled bbq meats.
Schwarz The Schiller Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
The Schiller Shiraz is a wine rich in both flavor and history. The 400 Shiraz vines planted by Carl August Otto Schiller in 1881 are something to be treasured. Earmarked for bulldozers in 2006, a last minute reprieve would see these Ancestor vines remain in the ground. The grapes are hand-picked from the sixth generation Schiller family vineyard at Hallett Valley in the Barossa. Jason first made this wine in 2008, and since then it has been his flagship wine.
Opens quickly to luxe fruits, black plum & fruits of the forest, building in layers of toasty smoked bacon, tobacco leaf and Mediterranean herbs with nuances of spice and earthy tones. A luxurious palate of old vine fruits, savory overtones and fine slippery tannins. A long harmonious finish.
Review:
Schwarz Thiele Road Grenache is made from 80 year old 100% Grenache vines.
Thiele Road is a dusty track that crosses Bethany Creek at the foot of the Barossa Ranges. It is home to Jason Schwarz's family's 70 year old, deep rooted Grenache vines that produce wines with complex flavours and plenty of character.
Bouquet: The nose is floral and expressive with raspberry and pepper.
Palate: Red fruits, spice and earth with beautiful balance and structure. Medium weighted with fine acidity. A wine built on complexity and packed with interest.
Planted in 1941. The gnarled, old vines continue to produce fantastic fruit and the quality out of the 2014 vintage was evident. The vines are handpicked, 10% whole bunch and the remainder de-stemmed and into an open fermenter. Before too long the wild yeast population on the grapes kicks off fermentation and that continues with daily gentle pump overs and hand plunging until fermentation is complete and the flavour profile is just right. The wine is then basket pressed and matured in seasoned French oak for 18 months before bottling. Not filtered or fined.
Review:
"From a single vineyard (Bethany) planted in 1941. No question that 2018 delivered some mighty fine Grenache in the Barossa Valley. Bright and pretty, red fruits, baked ricotta with thyme and honey, spice. It’s finely wrought and fresh, light emery tannin, raspberry and sweet strawberry, spice, blood orange and aromatic herbs playing out on a long finish. Oh, and it’s light to medium-bodied at most. Lovely."
- The Winefront (March 2020), 94 pts
Schwarz Thiele Road Grenache is made from 80 year old 100% Grenache vines.
Thiele Road is a dusty track that crosses Bethany Creek at the foot of the Barossa Ranges. It is home to Jason Schwarz's family's 70 year old, deep rooted Grenache vines that produce wines with complex flavours and plenty of character.
Bouquet: The nose is floral and expressive with raspberry and pepper.
Palate: Red fruits, spice and earth with beautiful balance and structure. Medium weighted with fine acidity. A wine built on complexity and packed with interest.
Planted in 1941. The gnarled, old vines continue to produce fantastic fruit and the quality out of the 2014 vintage was evident. The vines are handpicked, 10% whole bunch and the remainder de-stemmed and into an open fermenter. Before too long the wild yeast population on the grapes kicks off fermentation and that continues with daily gentle pump overs and hand plunging until fermentation is complete and the flavour profile is just right. The wine is then basket pressed and matured in seasoned French oak for 18 months before bottling. Not filtered or fined.
Review:
"This is an intriguing, full-weighted wine of compelling dry extract and savory, forceful length. Far from the archetype, or at least what I had construed that to be in these parts. Smoky and ferruginous, with aromas of Islay peat from a wild ferment and old vine je ne sais quoi. A darker brood, lathered with clove, anise, brush smoke and iodine, over the usual red fruited paradigm. The finish, biltong meaty and a tad drying. That said, this may well be reduction as the wine opens beautifully with time, boasting oodles of personality. Drink or hold. - Ned Goodwin MW"
- James Suckling (August 2023), 94 pts
Schwarz Thiele Road Grenache is made from 80 year old 100% Grenache vines.
Thiele Road is a dusty track that crosses Bethany Creek at the foot of the Barossa Ranges. It is home to Jason Schwarz's family's 70 year old, deep rooted Grenache vines that produce wines with complex flavours and plenty of character.
Bouquet: The nose is floral and expressive with raspberry and pepper.
Palate: Red fruits, spice and earth with beautiful balance and structure. Medium weighted with fine acidity. A wine built on complexity and packed with interest.
Planted in 1941. The gnarled, old vines continue to produce fantastic fruit and the quality out of the 2014 vintage was evident. The vines are handpicked, 10% whole bunch and the remainder de-stemmed and into an open fermenter. Before too long the wild yeast population on the grapes kicks off fermentation and that continues with daily gentle pump overs and hand plunging until fermentation is complete and the flavour profile is just right. The wine is then basket pressed and matured in seasoned French oak for 18 months before bottling. Not filtered or fined.
The grapes for this wine come from loamy, well-drained soils on our estate vineyard. Dijon and Wente clones are fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak. This is an elegant chardonnay with a focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity characteristic of Sea Smoke Vineyard.
Tasting Notes An elegant Chardonnay with aromas of lemon curd, star fruit, fresh cut peach and wet stone. Complemented by satsuma mandarins and a touch of hazelnut in the focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity of our estate vineyard. Winemaking Our estate-grown Chardonnay fruit was picked and hand-sorted in the vineyard before spending the night in our cold room. Chilled grapes were softly pressed and the juice was gently pumped into a stainless steel tank and cold settled. Once the heavy solids were removed, the juice was racked to a stainless steel fermenter, then inoculated for primary fermentation. Following primary fermentation, the wine was racked to barrels, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, then periodically stirred to enhance depth and mouthfeel. The 2023 Sea Smoke Chardonnay was aged for a total of 10 months prior to bottling with no fining and no filtration.
Each year, Sea Smoke's goal for Southing is to create the ideal marriage of complexity and elegance. The ever-changing nose of the Southing exhibits fresh currant, slight strawberry and rose aromas with notes of dried fruit, fennel, clove and nutmeg. The fine tannins and minerality are enhanced by the estate vineyard's characteristic cool climate acidity.
A brooding and intense wine. The aromas begin with notes of blueberry, cassis, a hint of lavender followed by a myriad of exotic spices, some hazelnut, thyme and an element of licorice. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten's ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish.
Segla Rauzan Margaux is made from 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Deep ruby in appearance, Segla delivers aromas of blueberry and vanilla on the nose. On the palate it is medium bodied with silky tannins.
Review:
Takes a very fresh approach, with an open-knit feel to the mulled raspberry and red currant fruit. Pretty lilac, incense and singed apple wood notes underscore the fruit, while silky but persistent tannins carry the finish. Shows latent depth and precise balance, so don't let this early charm fool you, as this should unfurl beautifully in the cellar. Best from 2022 through 2040. 10,000 cases made.
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
Ti Cuntu… means “I will tell you a story…” in Sicilian dialect and it refers to the ability of the wines made from these native grapes to tell the story of their terroir and of their history. The label shows the dry stone walls and the wild myrtle which characterize their territory.
Frappato is a rare native grape of Vittoria and is almost exclusively grown in Eastern Sicily. The vineyards lie on the sides of Mont Iblei at 300 meters above sea level on a south-west exposure. The relatively infertile terrain encourages the concentrated structure with a light color and beautiful aromatics. Irrigation is generally avoided. There are 4,000 plants per hectare. Agriculture is sustainable and no herbicides or pesticides are used and wild herbs fill the vineyard rows.
Color: Light cherry red with garnet reflections.
Bouquet: A ripe strawberry, black cherry, roses and violets fill the bouquet along with notes of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Taste: Fresh and berry-filled with an intriguing root beer note. The tannins are refined and the acidity lively. The finish is notable and long.
Excellent with cold meats and salamis, seafood and light pasta dishes.
Strong typical Pinot Noir characters are the distinguishing features of this wine, together with the balance of flavour. Made from just one small portion of Pinot grapes that are carefully spur pruned in winter, then meticulously looked after over the summer to eventually be handed from the vineyard team to the winemaking team to carry on the intense care and attention to detail that is needed to make the best Pinot Noir.
The favourite wine of our winemakers to make as it really extends all of their skills from working with the small open-top fermentation tanks, which allow for constant hand plunging of the grape skins ( a small wooden plunger constantly pushes the skins below the surface of the juice) to selecting a variety of different French oak barrels that the wine will mature in for more than twelve months. The real skill is in the blending, as not all the barrels will make the grade for our top Pinot Noir. Days are spent tasting and re-tasting barrels and blends looking for the elusive blend that conveys the smooth velvet texture of Pinot Noir.
14.5%
Best enjoyed with a leg of lamb on a Sunday with the family.
Sherwood Estate Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
A juicy Pinot Noir with rich ripe fruit flavours of plum and blackberries. Subtle oak complexities lead to a beautifully rounded palate with a silky smooth finish. This Pinot Noir is so versatile with food, it pairs well with BBQ,'s and salads to comforting winter style dishes. A secret favorite, a seafood pasta.
Most of the blend is tipped into open-top fermentation tanks for preferment soak prior to the fermentation starting naturally with indigenous yeast, another portion is tank fermented with pump over, then a very small portion is kept as whole berries and sealed for carbonic maceration fermentation. Once the fermentations have finished, a partial micro-oxygenation is started which helps the wine to remain softer and rounder earlier.
13%
Summer BBQ’s, salads and fresh seafood pasta.
Sherwood Estate Riesling is made from 100 percent Riesling.
A Riesling that captures the true essence of a Waipara Valley aromatic wine. Full flavoured with delicate fruit and floral elements balanced with a smooth mouthfeel and subtle sweetness.
Grown on our Waipara Valley vineyards the grapes were harvested over a period of two weeks at varying degrees of ripeness allowing for a range of fruit flavours and complexity. This shows in the final wine with great depth of flavour throughout the palate with well-balanced acidity leaving you wanting more.
12%
Fresh seafood, cheese dishes and spicy food.
The 2020 Cabernet is a shining example of how delicious, elegant and beautiful our Cabernet can be. The aromas of ripe plum, black cherry and stone fruits entice the nose. The wine is beautifully structured with a soft, velvety feel on the palate. The soft, subtle tannins make it seem that you are drinking a more mature wine. The hint of spice integrated with dark stone fruits segue into a long, lingering and enticing mouthfeel. This vintage is not one to miss, it’s approachable now and destined to be off the charts in years to come
Review:
Lastly, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Shibumi Knoll Vineyard is all varietal and spent 22 months in 75% new barrels. It's another beautifully balanced and impeccably made wine from this team that has tons to love, and in this case, it certainly represents a relative value as well. Cassis, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite are just some of its aromatics, and it's concentrated and has full-bodied richness, fine tannins, and the pure, layered, impressive style of the vintage front and center.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Shibumi Knoll Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir, 20 percent in new French Oak.
Review:
“Moving to the reds, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast comes from the Riddle Vineyard in Sonoma and spent 10 months in 20% new French oak. Black raspberries, sappy herbs, spring flowers, and some black tea notes all give way to a medium-bodied, elegant, vibrant Sonoma Pinot Noir with supple, fine-grained tannins and a great finish. It will age, but it's too good to resist today.”
Jeb Dunnuck, 96 points
Siegel Crucero Collection Carmenere is made from 100 percent Carmenere.
Pre-fermenting maceration at 15ºC for five days. Fermentation between 28º to 30ºC to get more color and structure for our Siegel Crucero Carmenere . Four light pump-over are done daily. Post fermenting maceration for about two weeks. Then the juice was separated from the skins, which were pressed to extract more juice. 100% malolactic fermentation.
Aged 25% in American oak barrels for 3 months.
Fine deep color, with average plus density. A brooding quite intense nose: earthy, prunes and pronounced touch of violets. Entry quite firm and clear cut, with fine acidity and good fruit that adds supleness. Excellent balance. Very good with lots of character.
Pairs well with chicken, pasta, red meats, cheeses
The Gigondas appellation is naturally delimited by the Dentelles de Montmirail to the east and the upper plateaux of the Ouvèze River to the west. The rugged topography of the Dentelles, amazing limestone pyramids, protects the vines from excessive summer heat and the full force of the mistral. Our vines grow on steep terraces up to 400 metres in altitude.
This Cru Gigondas displays a fine balance between freshness and an impression of sweetness due to old Grenache vines planted at high altitude. The wine is big on the palate, with a dense texture of rich, ripe tannin. Its polished personality reflects a top-rate terroir.
Review:
"Very full, rich and luxurious in style with ripe red berries and some rich, meaty fruit coming through on the palate; grainy and gritty tannins, with plenty to chew on. Feels youthful and tight but harmonious. The lovely acid line brings precision and pep. Tapered finish. Very appealing!"
- Decanter WWA 2022, 96 points and Gold Medal
Boeira Douro Red is made from 35% Touriga Nacional, 35% Tinta Roriz and 30% Touriga Franca.
Deep ruby color with purple hints. Aromas of red and black fruits, toasty notes and dark chocolate. Smooth on the palate with good structure and excellent mouthfeel. Fresh, with well integrated tannins bringing elegance and a gastronomic profile to the wine. Very well balanced. Boeira Douro DOC Red from the Douro Valley is the result of a careful blend of different varieties from the Douro. After fermentation the wine was left in contact with its lees until bottling in order to develop complexity and richness.
Pair with pork roast stuffed with prunes and apricots, grilled meats, marinated leg of lamb, chicken curry, pasta with beef or pork ragout, vegetable timbale with roasted tomatoes and grilled almonds. A very “friendly” food wine.