Rhône vs Australia
- Mixed
- Various
Is there a wine region in France more closely tied to Australian vino than the Rhône Valley? We don’t think so. It gave rise to the GSM blend and is the place where syrah/shiraz made its name on the international stage. This pack provides a beautiful comparison between the French and Aussie styles of these wines, containing ONE bottle each of the following:
Red
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- Grenache Blend
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- McLaren Vale
- Grenache Blend
- McLaren Vale
This blend of grenache shiraz shows us what the McLaren Vale is capable of producing, and certainly what Thistledown is capable of producing! Starting from bush-trained old vines, the grenache produces low yielding, intense fruit. Once picking commences, it's done gently and carefully to ensure only the best grapes are picked. Then, we get to the winemakers magic, ageing in concrete or french barrels to create that underlying oak flavour. And what's the finished result? A wonderfully vibrant and aromatic wine, featuring all manner of red and black fruits, raspberry, blackcurrant and a touch of allspice.
Red
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- Shiraz
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- Rhone Valley
- Shiraz
- Rhone Valley
From cult producer Laurent Habrard, comes an organically certified Crozes-Hermitage that is looking the goods and has a wonderful future ahead. This wine offers a classic expression of the iconic syrah region - equal parts deep and delicious. There are fresh black fruit aromas, along with violets and minerals, and the palate is fresh, but firm with tannins that will help the wine age and work well with food. Fans of the more serious versions of syrah from Eden Valley or Hawke’s Bay - don’t miss this one.
Red
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- Grenache Blend
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- Côtes du Rhône
- Grenache Blend
- Côtes du Rhône
This Côtes du Rhône comes from Domain Saint-Préfert, one of the region’s truly cult producers. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year with an incredible release of wines, ones that start in the vineyard. The soils are stony, porous and filtering, allowing the vines to root deeply in clay. With such extreme temperatures in the Rhône, these deep roots are vital to accessing water, resulting in grapes of immense intensity and richness. Saint-Préfert’s range of Châteauneuf-du-Pape can get quite pricey, so this wine is a great opportunity to get your hands on something from one of the more exciting wineries in France at the moment.
Red
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- Shiraz
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- Yarra Valley
- Shiraz
- Yarra Valley
Warramunda Estate has packed an enchanting wine into a beautiful bottle. The wine is appropriately labelled as syrah, a nod to the medium-bodied weight of the wine, the silky mouthfeel and a savouriness drawn from whole bunch pressing. The nose is of red fruits and roses and the palate carries pepper, spice and earthiness. If you are into cool climate shiraz, this is the complete package. Plus it’s crafted by Ben Haines, one of Victoria's top winemakers. What more could you ask for?
Red
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- GSM
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- Côtes du Rhône
- GSM
- Côtes du Rhône
The owner and maker of this wine also runs the iconic Châteauneuf‐du‐Pape estate Domaine Pegau with her father. This wine is her negociant wine, a tribute to her friends in and around the Rhône. It’s an 80/20 syrah/grenache blend (from 45 year old vines on average), so feel free to compare and contrast with any such McLaren Vale blends, and spot the differences. There are many. This is a great illustration of where terroir trumps variety. Similar fruits, but spicier, more elegant, finer-boned with more subtlety. Completely unoaked too, which highlights how impressive the fruit structure is. An excellent example of a classic.
Red
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- Shiraz Blend
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- McLaren Vale
- Shiraz Blend
- McLaren Vale
The team at Five Geese sure know how to make a good impression - old vines and McLaren Vale make this shiraz grenache an equally full-bodied and deep wine. It's sitting in its drinking prime at seven years old with dusty mocha tannins, baked plum richness and liquorice spice. If you like the plush reds that McLaren Vale is famous for - this will be your kind of wine.