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By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir in its most pure form. Outstanding fruit concentration is immediately apparent. A very tight-knit wine in all facets, reflecting the passion and respect that Gary Farr has for this noble grape variety. Knife edge precision, ethereal flavours and a gracious, balanced finish. Bravo.
Felton Road Block 2 Chardonnay
Felton Road Block 2 Chardonnay comes from a special parcel in the Elms vineyard on a gentle east facing slope, schist gravel soils and Felton Road's oldest Chardonnay vines. With natural hands on winemaking, results in a wine that expresses a true sense of place.
Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz
Sourced from vineyards surrounding Canberra, the Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz has been lovingly embraced as little brother to the iconic Shiraz Viognier. Also co-fermented with a touch of Viognier, the O'Riada shows a more fruit forward presence, yet still with that unmistakable Tim Kirk elegance and purity that is a theme throughout all of his wines.
Joh jos prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling-Auslese
Named after the sundial erected in the vineyard in 1842, Wehlener Sonnenuhr is the most famous vineyard in the Mosel. J.J Prüm owns five hectares of this precious vineyard. Extremely steep with optimal south-south west exposure, it yields fragrantly floral wines with ripe stone fruit aromas, underlying slately minerality and wonderful depth of flavour and structure. The Auslese wines are typically more reticent when young showing vivid crystalline citrus fruit and a backbone of tingling minerally acidity that will carry it gracefully for decades.
Joh jos prum Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling-Auslese
Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir
This vintage has produced a Pinot Noir displaying ripe rich aromatics; perfumed black fruits of the forest dominate the aroma and these are underpinned by lovely clove, anise and other brown spice notes. The wine displays lovely elegance and flows with striking precision and clarity. On the palate it kicks off with a supple dark berry entry, moving into a beautifully textured plush mid-palate, after which fine elegant textural tannins frame fruit and acidity on a lengthy finish. Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir will improve for 7-10 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.
Domaine du Pelican Arbois Savagnin Ouillé
This is the emblematic vine of Jura. In Jura, Savignin is mostly used to produce vin jaune, an oxydative wine which has made Jura famous. Domaine du Pélican produces a non-oxydative cuvée (topped up during elevage in the barrel to avoid oxydation, hence called "Savagnin Ouille"). The Savagnin vine belongs to the Traminer family. Since its birth in Montigny-lès-Arsures in 2012, Domaine du Pélican has rapidly established itself as one of Juras leading lights, producing exceptional biodynamic wines that mix finesse with thrilling Jurassien character. The project was born in Taillevent Paris where Guillaume dAngerville, proprietor of the great Volnay estate Marquis dAngerville, was served blind a bottle of Jura Chardonnay from the 2005 vintage. Struck by its quality, Guillaume was taken a back to discover the wine was not from Meursault, let alone anywhere in the Côte dOr. This moment proved the trigger for an exciting new project. Several Jura visits and tastings later and Guillaume was convinced to buy land there. He sought the help of respected Jura geologist Yves Hérody to find the best vineyard sites, a journey which took three years and culminated in a deal with the Château de Chavannes in Montigny-lès-Arsures in 2012 to purchase and lease five hectares. Jean-Marc Brignot sold him another five hectares shortly afterwards and finally in 2014 five hectares were leased from retiring Jura legend Jacques Puffeney. The estate is managed by Guillaumes Volnay Régisseur and partner in Domaine du Pélican, François Duvivier, who runs a team permanently based in the Jura. The vines are between Arbois and Montigny. Vitally all 15 hectares are within 2km of each other, the same as in Volnay, this allows the estate to grow the vineyards bio-dynamically for which some of the necessary treatments need to be made within two hours of preparation. The plots are among Juras finest, the very best being En Barbi and Grand Curoulet. The terroirs here, a mix of marly clay and gravels with varying exposures from north to south, are even more complex than in Burgundy. Whilst a broadly Burgundian approach is employed to wine-making, there is no doubting the individuality and Jurassien personality of the wines. The dAngerville approach in the cellar has always been light-touch, one which is toned down even more for Domaine du Pélican, little new oak is used and élévage is shorter, lasting twelve months as opposed to eighteen in Volnay. Tanks and foudres are employed for ageing the reds, 500 litre casks for the Savagnin and traditional Burgundian barriques for the Chardonnay. The whites are both topped up as opposed to the more common oxidative Jura method. The rigour and investment of the Marquis dAngerville, local know-how and great terroir is proving a potent combination, for these are some of the most Juras most exciting and complex wines.