Dowie Doole Paringa Barristers Block Cantine Vitevis Tomich Hill Carlos Serres Medium Wine List

Its bigger than Pinot, and of course has a different flavour profile, but in the UK plenty of punters who drink Pinot are equally enamoured of Bardolino. 'But it is made from the same grapes as Amarone', we hear you say. It is, and Bardolino is only half an hour from that region, but the wines are altogether brighter and far more delicate than you'll find there. This Bardolino sees about 6 months in oak, followed by some time in tank prior to bottling – red fruits and violet form the nose. It is red fruity, pulpy and fleshy and finishes tight and dry, with excellent length, minerality, plenty of acid and fine tannins. Drink it with rich meaty dishes or oily fish. Definitely a food wine and absolutely worth decanting. Learn More

Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos was actually named Charles, a French Winemaker who left Bordeaux, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, landing in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon, there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Carlos Serres Crianza is 100% Tempranillo and spends 14 months in a combo of French and American oak. Being 'Crianza', the wine has spent a year in barrel, and another on bottle prior to release. Typically aged in older oak, Crianza can have quite assertive tannins and fruit which is intense whilst retaining great freshness. This is a particularly good example, packed with red fruits, cherries, spice, oak and nervy acidity.

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Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos, actually named Charles, was a French Winemaker who, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, left Bordeaux and wound up in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Young and fresh but nonetheless intense, owing to the very low yields from the 2022 vintage. Fresh red and black fruits here, along with liquorice and a hint of vanilla. Zippy fruit and relatively high tannins make this a great match for protein.

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Since 1996, Chris Thomas has maintained a shiraz solera which form part of this lip smacking sparkling. The solera contains some of the best shiraz Chris has made over the last 20+ years and is used sparingly and exclusively to add the finishing touches to his sparkling shiraz each year and adds depth of flavour and complexity. This is sparkling shiraz as we love it- opulent, slightly sweet, with richness, complexity, oak and plenty of fine tannins. That structure combined with flavours of blackberry, cherry. dark chocolate and spice making this a perfect accompaniment to protein, like roast chook, bacon and eggs, etc. It's bloody good. Learn More

Ken Gargett, from Wine Pilot, sums it up beautifully...

From a single vineyard in the Woodside sub-region of the Adelaide Hills, the fermentation was with wild yeasts and 30% whole bunches. Fermentation is in small batch open fermenters. The wine then enjoys eighteen months maturation in French barrels, 20% of which were new. Notes of spices, bright red fruits, red cherries, florals, hints of forest floor characters and animal skins. Red currants and raspberries emerge on the palate. This has bright acidity running the full journey, sleek tannins, balance and exemplary length. Drink for four to eight years. Love it, a Pinot of grace

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