"A joyful wine! " ..." A very refreshing style, low alcohol (12%) and it is unbelievably bright on both nose and palate", David Crossley's Wide World of Wine.

Tasting Notes

Unusually for an RS this was a blend of first and second pick. First pick went straight to concrete for ferment which is so vivid and riveting, blended with some second pick fermented in large oak, bringing a fine supple texture that veers from the highly recognisable RS style we know to a structural clarity that seems just a little more amplified than normal.

Mac has chosen not to provide traditional tasting notes for any of his wines. His aim is that his wines hopefully capture vineyard life and vitality. As such the wines are constantly evolving. He believes that the only tasting notes that matter are yours!

The Vineyard

"Over the past 15 years, we have always been overwhelmed by the presence of our Caveat vineyard in the Strathbogie Ranges. A supposedly sealed road that wanders north from Yea climbing to the elevated granite soils that sit 600m above sea level. Generally 5 degrees cooler than the valley floor, this small vineyard is surrounded not by other vineyards but rather unforgiving grazing land."  

The Vintage

A hot and exceptionally dry growing season, yields were low in 2019, but produced grapes with an intense and complex fruit profile different to what we had seen from this site previously. The RS3 is a blend of two harvest days - March 6th and 14th. It was fermented and matured mainly in neutral French oak barriques, with a small component being drawn from our brand new 2000L concrete tank. "

About Mac Forbes

If you love premium and artisanal Australian wine, Mac Forbes is a name you need to know. He’s not only one of the country’s most talented winemakers, but he’s one of the most influential spokesmen for promoting the concept of Australian ‘terroir’, believing that wine should represent a time and a place.

Mac specialises in single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet from the Yarra Valley. His wines are delicate and finely etched, characterised by subtlety and grace.

His Pinot Noirs are fine-boned, Chardonnays are loved by those who look for fruit purity rather than winemaking artifice in the variety, his array of off-dry Rieslings from the Strathbogie Ranges are some of the country's most unique.

And his ever-expanding range of experimental wines is a treasure-trove for the curious drinker and he is honestly one of the most genuine and affable winemakers you'll ever meet!

Specifications

Chateau Montelena shot to fame in 1976 at the iconic Judgement of Paris that shook the wine world to its core when their 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay won first place against an enviable line-up of top French Burgundies. The result was a shock to the wine trade all over the world and changed the history of California wine - and Chateau Montelena - forever.

Tasting Notes

Riesling is a hidden gem within the Chateau Montelena portfolio. Many people don’t know it exists, and once they do – they keep coming back for more. Stylistically, it is amazingly refreshing with notes of lemon blossom, honeysuckle and rose petal that are balanced by lively acidity

Winemaker Matt Crafton best describes the experience associated with this unique wine:

“I love sharing our Riesling when I travel. Primarily, it’s because very few people actually know that we make Riesling and even fewer have tried it. But, secondarily, and this is my favorite part, I really enjoy the responses I get when I offer someone a glass. By far, the most common reply is some flavor of ‘No thank you. I don’t drink sweet wine.’ Once I coax them into a taste, however, few don’t finish the glass. “

Many years ago, Chateau Montelena selected a certified organic vineyard in the Coastal Mendocino Mountains from which, even today, it sources the fruit for the Potter Valley Riesling. The basic winemaking truth — “The Right Grape in the Right Place”—drove that decision then, and it is every bit as valid now. The Riesling grape is a noble variety that requires moderate days and cool nights to allow proper ripening and mature flavor development.

Nose

Aromas of lemon blossom, honeysuckle and rose petals are immediately apparent with a quick swirl of the glass. They’re followed by ripe strawberry, fresh-cut melon, and cinnamon.

Palate

On the palate, the wine evolves slowly but beautifully. The lively acidity is juicy and mouth-coating; gradually giving way to apricots, pineapple, and lemon candy. There’s a subtle spiciness that carries through the midpalate and balances the viscosity and texture – all hallmarks of the 2014 vintage. The finish is rich and refreshing, lingering past lemon meringue and kaffir lime.

Producer

Established in 1882 and located in Calistoga, California– the Montelena Estate is one of the oldest and most notable wine-producing properties in the Napa Valley.

Chateau Montelena Winery, originally called A.L. Tubbs winery after its founder Alfred Tubbs, was constructed in 1888 and intended as a barrel-aging facility. The Chateau was unique in materials, plan, size, and style for its era. In nineteenth-century Napa Valley, the majority of wineries were constructed of wood. Instead, the Chateau is made of stone with walls three to twelve feet thick, which provides natural insulation against outside heat or cold. Similarly, the structure built into a hillside, to further regulate temperature - something necessary for producing quality wines but uncommon at the time. Also rare among Napa Valley wineries, the Chateau resembles an English Gothic castle gatehouse complete with rusticated stone walls, battlement with crenels and merlons, narrow arched windows, large arched door in the place of a portcullis, and bartizans with faux arrow slits.

Accounts of the stone winery’s designer, masons and source of materials vary. The design has been attributed to Hamden McIntyre, the well-known local winery designer; however, McIntyre relocated to Vina in 1887 where he took charge of the vineyard and winery of Leland Stanford. The building is unlike McIntyre's other wineries, none of which were designed in a Gothic style. Some sources also suggest that while in Europe, Tubbs hired a French architect to draw plans for the building, brought back French masons to build it, and imported European stone for the walls. Other accounts suggest the design was inspired by the Cellar of Chateau Lafite in France.

Originally, the interior was one large space with a second-story crushing floor, but in 1960, a second-floor apartment was inserted so the Chateau could be used as a home. The space was then converted into our current tasting room though parts of the private residence remain and are used on occasion today for family guests and private events.

Specifications

Rainer Wess wines have been synonymous with high quality wines from the Kremstal. He started studying wine in the 1980's and working in Bordeaux. He moved back to Austria in the 90's and worked with some of the top wineries in the area before setting up his own winery in 2003. 

Tasting Notes

2011 was a ripe vintage, producing generous powerful wines. Loibenberg has gneiss soil on top of granite rock, which helps aid minerality in the wine. 

Herbs, stone fruit, multi-layered aroma, papaya, full-bodied wine, harmonious drinking flow, slightly peppery notes in the finish, long reverberation

From the World Heritage Site and enchanting feel-good landscape - that is the Wachau, the narrow Danube valley between Melk and Krems. A great Riesling—full and generous, yet focused with precise acidity. An aromatic bouquet of yellow apple, pear, lemon, and pineapple. Elegant and balanced with a long, lovely finish.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Medium greenish yellow, silver reflections.

Nose

Inviting nuances of fresh tropical fruit, underlaid with vineyard peach and fresh orange zest, a hint of lime, seductive bouquet.  

Palate

Full-bodied, tight-knit, shows fine fruit expression, fresh acidity, yellow peach, mineral-taut finish, very good length. Secure ageing potential, already very inviting and accessible in its youth. Please let it mature!

Producer

The Wachau Valley is one of the most beautiful historic landscapes in the world and has been included, since 2000, as part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Here in between the Danube on the one side and the mountains on the other side is the village of Spitz.

Five generations of Hirtzbergers have lived here, tending the vines which have been planted in the Wachau Valley in the 13th Century. Today wine is produced with all the modern know-how at our disposal, but still following the tradition of the Wachau Valley and our family.

Accolades

• 96-98 points - Falstaff 2020 

Specifications

Rare museum release of Tasmanian Riesling from the Mac Forbes cellar. This is a glorious wine drinking right at its peak! It's not often that you come across Australian Riesling with this amount of bottle age but when you do, you should jump at the chance.

Tasting Notes

Mac has chosen not to provide traditional tasting notes for any of his wines. His aim is that his wines hopefully capture vineyard life and vitality. As such the wines are constantly evolving. He believes that the only tasting notes that matter are yours!

It's a Riesling crafted in 2010 from Tasmania. It's off-dry in style with just 20 grams/litre of residual sugar. The balance as a young wine must have been spot on because it's in a magic spot at the moment.

The intense acidity this showed as a young wine has softened, the fruit has blossomed in the bottle, it's honeyed and absolutely at its drinking peak right now. 

About Mac Forbes

If you love premium and artisanal Australian wine, Mac Forbes is a name you need to know. He’s not only one of the country’s most talented winemakers, but he’s one of the most influential spokesmen for promoting the concept of Australian ‘terroir’, believing that wine should represent a time and a place.

Mac specialises in single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet from the Yarra Valley. His wines are delicate and finely etched, characterised by subtlety and grace.

His Pinot Noirs are fine-boned, Chardonnays are loved by those who look for fruit purity rather than winemaking artifice in the variety, his array of off-dry Rieslings from the Strathbogie Ranges are some of the country's most unique.

And his ever-expanding range of experimental wines is a treasure-trove for the curious drinker and he is honestly one of the most genuine and affable winemakers you'll ever meet!

Specifications

A delicious example of Riesling!

Tasting Notes

The abundant aromas and flavours suggest white fleshed peaches, nectarines and citrus flowers and fruits, especially those of oranges, mandarins and limes. There are supporting hints jasmine and lychees. It is concentrated and mouth filling but yet elegant and poised with a core of tangy minerality and acidity that balance its off-dry finish and help draw out the lingering aftertaste.

The Season

A mild spring, a warm summer and an early autumn produced beautifully ripe fruit. Rain in the late autumn encouraged a portion of beautiful noble botrytis in the grapes, giving this wine extra richness and concentration while still allowing it to clearly express its spectrum of beautiful varietal flavours.

The Vineyard & The Vines

The outcrop of land on which these grapes were grown consists largely of weathered stones and mineral rich gravels. These were shorn off New Zealand’s Southern Alps by an ice-age glacier, which carried them down the valleys and deposited them in selected sites. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, which helps draw out the ripening period and retain good natural acidity. This individual terroir is especially suited to Riesling.

Harvest & Wine Making

After picking during May, the grapes were gently pressed. The juice was then fermented slowly at cool temperatures to help the wine retain its vibrant fruit characters and varietal purity. At all stages, from fermentation to bottling, it was handled very carefully to help it retain a little of its natural carbon dioxide. This provides additional crispness and may result in a small amount of spritzig when first poured.

Accolades

Awarded Super Classic Status "This is classy stuff." - Michael Cooper's Buyer’s Guide, NZ

“Surely a classic in its own right”- Michael Broadbent, Decanter, UK

“Canterbury with its sunshine and big diurnal shifts is the beating heart of NZ Riesling production with Pegasus Bay arguably the country's best-known producer for the grape.”- Chris Losh, Imbibe Magazine, UK

“ … Pegasus Bay’s rieslings remain New Zealand benchmarks …” - Dr Jo Burzynska, NZ

Specifications