A rich, savoury satisfying mouthful!

Since the elevation of Cairanne to a southern Rhône cru, 'La Côte Sauvage' continues to be characterised by its finesse and finely-grained texture, due in part to the famous ‘argilo-calcaire’ of our hilltop vineyards such as La Pauline and Les Six Terrasses, slow winemaking methods and gentle maturation in different sized barrels of old French oak.

Tasting Notes

A serious, restrained and complex example of cru Cairanne. This is rich, intense and drenched in dark red fruits. With morello cherry and a touch of cinnamon spice on the nose, soft dark plummy fruit, liquorice, chocolate, a hint of black tea on the palate, this wine is full-flavoured and smooth with supple tannins.

Method of Production

The cru of Cairanne lies in the heart of the Southern Rhône valley, northeast of Orange. For this La Côte Sauvage, fully ripe Grenache and Syrah grapes are hand-picked from old bush vines on selected hillside slopes within Cairanne. The vineyards have the classic argilo-calcaire soil of limestone pebbles over clay and the vines are harvested by hand. Vinified traditionally with only the natural yeasts present on the grapes, followed by a long cuvaison period with gentle remontage and manual pigeage. A blend of four varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre) matured for 22 months in French old oak barrels and demi-muids to develop great concentration, complexity and finesse in the wine.

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

Colour

Excellent colour and mid-density.

Nose

Being 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Shiraz it is more of the classic Aussie blend Cabernet/Shiraz. Lifted dark fruit and cedar notes on the nose. Riper dark fruit aromas than previously vintages, due to a warm year in McLaren Vale.

Palate

The vanillin oak background adds extra lift to the dark cherry/plum aromas, and finishes with a ripe tannin mouthfeel. Turkish delight and dark chocolate from the Shiraz component, makes this a very enjoyable Cricket Pitch blend.

About Brokenwood Wines

Founded in 1970 as a hobby venture by three Sydney-based solicitors - Tony Albert, John Beeston and Australian wine critic James Halliday - Brokenwood is perhaps best known for their Cricket Pitch label, which was first sourced from a 4-hectare block at the foothills of the Hunter Valley’s Brokenback Ranges. The block was originally earmarked as the local cricket ground before they decided to plant a vineyard instead.

Similarly, Brokenwood purchased their neighbouring block, which was intended to be the local cemetery, and instead planted Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, becoming their critically acclaimed flagship wine, the Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz. Chief Winemaker and Managing Director Iain Riggs joined Brokenwood in 1982 and introduced new winery equipment and facilities specifically for premium white wine production.

Since 1983, white wine makes up a significant part of total production and their Semillon is widely recognized as one of the finest in the world. Iain has also been the driving force behind Brokenwood’s expansion into the McLaren Vale in South Australia, Beechworth in Victoria, Margaret River in Western Australia, and Orange in New South Wales. Despite their expansion, they have managed to remain fiercely committed to producing unique and highquality expressions of Australian terroir.

Specifications

Specifications

Glaetzer Wallace takes on the traditional Barossa Valley blend of Shiraz and Grenache in a modern way. 

Tasting Notes

Colour

Vibrant purple with bright red hues.

Nose

Wild cherries with a hint of blueberry and rose petal.

Palate

Upfront red berry fruit, midpalate richness and brightness from the Grenache. Finishes fresh and long.

Glaetzer Wallace takes on the traditional Barossa Valley blend of Shiraz and Grenache in a modern way. The Shiraz brings backbone, flesh and body to the wine with the Grenache adding a soft, vibrant juiciness. 

Vineyards

Exceptional old vine fruit was sourced from the famed Ebenezer sub district at the northern tip of the Barossa Valley. Vine age 50—80 year old Shiraz and 50—100 year old Grenache. Yield 3.5 tonnes per hectare.

Vintage Conditions

A wet winter and spring coupled with cooler than average spring temperatures resulted in slower yet balanced canopy development and healthy flowering and fruit set. A mild summer with regular rainfall events followed allowing the fruit to be in no rush to mature, perfect for consistent ripening. Harvest commenced a few weeks later than recent years. The 2017 wines are of excellent quality exhibiting purity and lift with firm tannins and exceptional length.

Vinification

Old vine Barossa Grenache has a liveliness and structure that does not benefit from oak maturation—oak contact was thus minimised for the Grenache component to preserve the purity and animation of the fruit. The Shiraz was matured for 16 months in 2—3 year old oak hogshead barrels (80% French / 20% American).

About Glaetzer

This family-owned boutique winery was founded in 1995 and dedicates itself to the production of super-premium, sitespecific red wine made in small volumes. Originally from Germany, the Glaetzer family settled in Australia in the late 19th century and were some of the earliest recorded viticulturalists in the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley. Today the winery is run by internationally acclaimed winemaker Ben Glaetzer, who is responsible for driving the brand’s considerable loyal following. Ben sources all their fruit from the northern sub-region of the Barossa, Ebenezer, which is known for its ancient dry-grown vineyards. Glaetzer’s most exceptional fruit is sourced from 80-110 year-old, nongrafted bush vines. In the cellar, Ben believes in minimal intervention and treating musts as gently as possible.

Though only limited Glaetzer wines are produced every year, the winery is known for producing wines that are unique and intense. 

2018 Wallace from Glaetzer Wines on Vimeo.

Specifications

What strikes us is the beautiful lifted floral notes and a lovely punchy mouthful of fruit and earth on the palate. Bright and vibrant in colour, with aromas of raspberries , violets and nutmeg. The palate is silky with great balance and a fine structure. A wine styled for approachability.

Vinification

From a mix of French clones the Syrah was handled similarily to the Wildflower Organic Pinot Noir with a cold soak and hot ferment.

Viticulture

Our Maraekakaho Vineyard is planted on an ancient river terrace that was formed by the Ngaruroro River which now flows around 60 meters below the vineyard. With its headwaters in the Kaweka Ranges to the west of Hawkes Bay, the river has created the landscapes through glacial melts, floods and droughts over the last few hundred thousand years. The old terraces that remain are made up of greywacke (a compressed sandstone) boulders and gravels from the ranges, and a topsoil borne of windblown loess, volcanic ash and humus created by ancient forests and vegetation.

The arrival of the New Year brought with it the long, hot, sunny summer days with moderate-cool nights for perfect ripening conditions, whilst preserving fresh acidity. Superb harvest climatic conditions provided the luxury of optimal picking decisions not hurried by the threat of rain. The result is an outstanding year for our Hawke’s Bay wines. Yields are slightly down, but with exceptional quality across all varieties. Full flavour and tannin ripeness in reds, with moderate alcohol levels. Acid retention and exciting flavour spectrums in whites.

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

The Shiraz (Rhône Valley) lends a tight, fresh structure with aromatic and seasoned undertones. Petit Verdot (Bordeaux) contributes a rich berry character and the Sangiovese, in true Italian style, adds fruity flavours with flair on the palate. The result is a bold, charming, seductive and ultimately elegant wine.

Vineyards

Shiraz (Eikendal): 20 year old block planted at the top of the farm overlooking False Bay, planted in a north/south row direction, 3 333 Vines/ha, under irrigation. Petit Verdot (Eikendal): 12 year old block planted next to the Shiraz. Planted in a north/south row direction, 3 333 Vines/ha, under irrigation. Sangiovese: 19 year old block from a producer in Stellenbosch. Planted in a north/south row direction, 3 333 Vines/ha.

Vinification

All three cultivars are handpicked and cooled down. Only destemmed and not crushed. 10-15 day cold soaking before spontaneous fermentation. Shiraz: one pump over per day. Petit Verdot: two punch downs per day and Sangiovese: one walk through per day. After fermentation the wine is allowed to settle clean. Shiraz and Petit Verdot go into 500ℓ old Burgundian barrels and the Sangiovese will be blended into the previous vintage Charisma. All three cultivars are handpicked and cooled down.

Only destemmed and not crushed. 10-15 day cold soaking before spontaneous fermentation. Shiraz: one pump over per day. Petit Verdot: two punch downs per day and Sangiovese: one walk-through per day. After fermentation the wine is allowed to settle clean. Shiraz and Petit Verdot go into 500ℓ old Burgundian barrels and the Sangiovese will be blended into the previous vintage Charisma – meaning, for example, in Charisma 2018 the Shiraz and Petit Verdot are 2018 vintage but the Sangiovese is the 2019 vintage. The idea with this is to blend that beautiful freshness and Italian passion into the wine.

Accolades

92pts | Tim Atkin

"In its way, this is every bit as impressive as the Janina Chardonnay and could be viewed as its value-for-money twin. Made from the unusual trio of mostly Syrah with 17% Petit Verdot and 30% Sangiovese, it’s floral and refined with red cherry and raspberry fruit and filigree tannins. 2022-28"

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Nose

The wine has a complex and fresh nose of red fruit, combined with slightly menthol-like notes of red fruit.

Mouth

On the palate, it is rich and full, with a natural elegance, and the silky tannins make it an immediately accessible and pleasant wine, with clear qualities to keep it for a while (5-7 years, depending on its expected profile).

The Cascavel wines are polished, authentic and very fairly priced for their quality.

Background

Specifications