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Wrattonbully is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Naracoorte Caves, limestone caves that extend under Mérite’s vineyard, so close to the surface that they often create sink-holes among the vines.
About this Wine
But Colleen Miller and Mike Kloak are loud and proud of Wrattonbully. They planted their vineyard in the Joanna section of Wrattonbully in 2000, in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. Their goal was deliberate and longterm: to grow and vinify extraordinary Bordeaux varieties (plus a little shiraz). Their 45 hectares in Wrattonbully benefit from the same soil profiles as Coonawarra, like the famed Terra Rossa, and similar climatic phenomena, like the Bonney Upwelling, which cools nights during summer periods. However, Wrattonbully is a step up in elevation across gentle sloping ranges, with greater variation of aspect among its vineyards, and slightly warmer daytime average temperatures.
Colleen and Mike are not catering to trends or trying to make a quick buck. Though they planted in 2000, they didn’t release their first wines (2015 Reserve Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) until 2020. They are invested in the long-term success of the Wrattonbully region and in crafting a new identity for Australian Bordeaux varieties, and they are willing to give their vines time in the ground and their wines time in bottle to make sure they release the best possible wine. They are a benchmark producer for an emerging-region winery, responding sensitively to the particularities of their land, while still creating styles of wine that fit within an international standard of excellence.
The 2020 ‘Layers’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a regal wine, balancing firmness and juiciness to great appeal. Aromas of dusty cedar, tobacco, Davidson plum (a tart native plum), and black currant on the nose. The palate adds complexity with river mint, cinnamon myrtle (enhanced by 20% new oak), and plump but structured blue and black fruit. This wine is defined by length, structure, and balance: an affordable wine for serious cabernet drinkers.
Food Pairings
You can’t go wrong with steak here, but lamb with mint jelly would be inspired too. Also, one of our favorite Indian restaurants pours this wine by the glass, and we love the way it pairs with spiced red-meat dishes.
Tech Notes
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Barossa like you’ve never tasted it.
About this Wine
Rasa is a Sanskrit term that “literally means juice, essence or taste, the agreeable quality of something, especially the emotional or aesthetic impression of a work of art”. (It also happens to be how the end of ‘Barossa’ is pronounced--it’s not ‘row-sa’!) These wines are getting to the essence of Barossa, but in a very different way than has traditionally been done. ‘Our wines don’t fit inside a conventional framework,’ says proprietor and winemaker Andy Cummins. ‘They don’t fit beside all the others in a massed regional comparison. But there’s a growing, loyal audience for these types of wines.’
Andy and his partner Emma purchase grapes and lease small parcels of land in the Barossa Valley, leveraging their connections in the region to lay their hands on the best fruit. The focus is on old vines and historic grapes of the Barossa (ones that haven’t gotten the spotlight historically, ahem, shiraz): mourvèdre, cinsault, grenache, muscat, semillon, and riesling. The grapes are always farmed sustainably - a minimum of practicing organic - and the wines made with very little intervention (read: native yeast, little to no sulfur, and no other adds).
The 2022 Little Liar (a translation from ‘ngarapanha,’ the Adnyamathanha people’s word for the Sturt Desert Pea), is 75% grenache and 25% cinsault. The grenache comes from a single vineyard in Krondorf, the cinsault from a single vineyard in Vine Vale, both in the Barossa Valley. Aromatics of satsuma plum, muntries (a native red berry), cracked black pepper, garrigue, and exuberant, fresh red cherry fill out the nose. The palate is balanced with soft tannins that run parallel to red fruit acidity and create a vibrant textural lift. At 12.5% alcohol, this is a firmly medium (or even medium-minus!) bodied wine, that's freshness, lift, and delicacy belie what is traditionally thought of the Barossa.
Food Pairings
We love the Little Liar with lighter meats -- roast chicken, crispy duck, pork loin. You can match the fruit and savory flavors by including red fruits, bacon, thyme, and mint with any of these proteins. It’s also a sneaky good red wine for spicy food -- whether that’s Nashville hot chicken, mapo tofu, or a spicy curry.
Tech Notes
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Tiny production pinot noir from the island with the world’s cleanest air.
About this Wine
On what feels like the end of the earth (and isn’t actually that far) sits Sailor Seeks Horse vineyard. This is a site that was pretty much left for dead, abandoned by the owners who had planted it in 2005. When Gilli and Paul Lipscombe found it, a few blackberry bushes were set amongst a floundering 6.5 hectares of pinot noir and chardonnay. “The greatest viticultural challenge I have ever seen” was the assessment of the viticultural liaison officer who surveyed it for the Lipscombes (after they had already purchased it). Luckily he followed it up with, “if it was anywhere else you wouldn’t bother, but this site is definitely worth it.”
A worth it the vineyard has proven to be. Now recognized as one of the great sites for pinot noir and chardonnay in Australia, it’s just a matter of time before Sailor Seeks Horse is recognized globally as one of the greatest sites (and wines) in the world. A northeast facing slope, frost free(ish) and well drained sandy-loam soil over clay. Everything is planted at a density of 4000 vines/ha, which is the right balance for the soil capacity. 700mm or so of average annual rainfall provides enough moisture to farm without irrigation. And, without any synthetic inputs.
Hand-picked with 5% whole bunches. Fruit is soaked at ambient temperature (cold in the Huon) and then natural yeast commence the fermentation process. Aged in about 10% new oak, a variety of barrel sizes. Notes of native riberry, sour red cherry, black plum, smoked truffle, anise, and fern. A delicate balance between red and dark fruits, high-toned aromatics, layered depth and verve. Unparalleled balance, complexity and length. Will only get better with age, but might be too delicious to wait.
Food Pairings
Elegant and fragrant will be the keys here, like morel mushroom gnocchi, duck breast with poached cherry, truffle-stuffed whole chicken, and rabbit and sage.
Tech Notes
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Chardonnay to convince your non-chardonnay drinking friends that the grape is pretty good.
About this Wine
Patrick Sullivan has often been aligned with the natural wine movement in Australia, a label he feels doesn’t get to the heart of his philosophy. Patrick studied viticulture in school, rather than oenology. The point was always to focus on the fruit. “Minimal intervention is in the eye of the beholder,” he says. “What I try and do is be as honest as I can to the vineyard… So that’s maximum intervention in the vineyard. What I’m trying to do is be as reflective of the site as possible at that time and at that place.”
Out of school, Patrick met Bill Downie, who had at that point already become one of the most prominent winemakers in Australia. When a property near Bill’s place in Gippsland opened up in 2016, Patrick and his wife Megan jumped on the opportunity, and the three of them (along with Bill’s accomplished cheesemaker wife Rachel) have been sharing resources and building the bounty of their land ever since.
And though Gippsland is a glorious place to grow chardonnay (wet! cold! long growing season!), it is quite expensive, especially if you want to make small quantities and farm regeneratively. So Patrick set about years ago to put together the fruit sources to create a more affordable chardonnay. His search led him back toward where he grew up, in the larger Limestone Coast area, which is technically the southeastern corner of South Australia, though its qualities extend into Henty in Western Victoria. Taken together, this area is the world’s third largest volcanic plain, with black, sandy volcanic soils over limestone. And also cool and wet. A dream for growing top-notch chardonnay, which is still under-the-radar enough to be affordable too.
A nuanced and subtle chardonnay that presents place more than any particular winemaking slant. The nose is an understated mix of toasted wattleseed, white peach, finger lime, river mint and lemon aspen (a spongy and floral native citrus). Delicate and intricately-knit palate, persistent and balanced acid, with pleasantly plump fruit weight. Long lines and a hint of smoky oak.
Food Pairings
To us, this is the quintessential roast chicken wine. Get creative with the accompaniments to match the notes you find in the wine. Fried sage, brussel sprouts, smoked pork niblets, toasted hazeluts…maybe this is a Thanksgiving wine too?!
Tech Notes
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Riesling from Western Australia’s oldest cool-climate vineyard!
About this Wine
Established in 1965, Forest Hill Vineyard is Western Australia’s oldest cool climate vineyard. Situated 20 kilometers west of Mount Barker, the vineyard consists of 40 hectares of dry farmed vines. Forest Hill is family owned and run by the Lyons family, with winemaker Guy Lyons managing the vineyard and winery along with Liam Carmody and Ross Pike. The Lyons family has been farming in the Great Southern for four generations and purchased the Forest Hill Vineyard in 1995. The farming methods are simple—cane pruning with attentive canopy management and shoot positioning. No herbicides are used in the vineyards with livestock running through the vines outside of the growing season. Organic composts and teas are distributed to further improve soil health promoting microbial activity.
The Highbury Fields vineyard is a mix of 18 year-old and 46 year-old vines planted on gravel and loams over clay. Elevage is simple and classic for Australian riesling: the wine is vinified dry in stainless steel, with some parcels left on lees to build richness and texture. Fragrant floral and citrus dominate the flavors, with a mineral-driven stoniness and length on the palate.
Food Pairings
Fresh oysters with a vinegary minionette; sushi with pickled ginger; a tart goat cheese salad…anything with acidity and brininess is a great fit.
Tech Notes
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Traditional, Champagne-method sparkling wine from one of two Indigenous-owned wineries in Australia
About this Wine
Mt Yengo is back!! For anyone that’s been following our portfolio, Mt Yengo was an integral piece in the beginning. We unfortunately had a lapse in availability with their wines; it’s not a bad problem to have, but they got so popular in Australia that they weren’t able to fulfill export markets. After a couple of years spent working on stable fruit sources, Mt Yengo is back in the US--and better than ever!
Mt Yengo is a unique venture. Started by Gary Green and Ben Hansberry, Mt Yengo was created to bring the culture and values of the First Nations People of Australia and fuse them with the more recent culture surrounding wine: to create not only a wine brand, but a true community centered around wine. A community that values bridging the cultural divide, instilling cultural understanding, and embracing reconciliation and diversity.
Gary Green is a Gamilaraay and Githabul man from New South Wales, whose father was a prominent businessman and leader in the Aboriginal community. Gary has inherited his father’s business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and social justice orientation, and has employed these traits in the food and beverage space.
Mt Yengo has always featured Aboriginal art on its labels. In 2021, the winery announced that Wayne Quilliam, who had been the featured artist on the labels, would join the team in a permanent role as a director. This is an extension of Mt Yengo’s mission to include their artists in the commercial success of the winery, as they have been giving a portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold to the artists for years.
Mt Yengo also gives a portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold to the National Indigenous Culinary Institute, which is a program of national significance to create highly skilled Indigenous chefs. And we, as their importer into the United States, are matching that donation; with every bottle sold we are donating a portion of the proceeds to First Nations Development Institute.
But on to the wine! As Gary says, “we’re able to make a difference only if we make great wine.” And great wine this is. Their Adelaide Hills NV represents the best of this heralded region: cool climates, high elevations, and stony soils that produce grapes of great acidity and precision for sparkling wine. 90% chardonnay and 10% pinot noir, from a base of the 2021 vintage, the nose is bright and expressive, with aromatics of granny smith apple, toasted wattleseed, brioche, white pepper, and lilies. The palate combines a creaminess of mouthfeel with a long, linear pull of acidity and freshness.
Food Pairings
A great wine for a solo aperitif, this sparkling also makes a great food pairing. Baked oysters, rich triple cream cheese, and smoked salmon rillettes come to mind: foods for which you want both a creaminess and cut of acid.
Tech Notes
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