Evans & Tate Dowie Doole Hastwell & Lightfoot Leasingham Irvine Ca’ De Lion Medium Wine List

Expressive and fruit driven, this Barbera from Asti in Piedmont is deep, juicy and intense, stopping just short of being rich, though that will come with age. Fruit comes from estate vines grown in the Piedmont sub region of Asti, perhaps the best place in the world to grow Barbera. Specifically, the vines are on the slopes of the San Marzano hills. This wine is made in tiny quantities and is of exceptional quality. After a quick decant wonderful red fruits, violets, cherries, florals, earth, coffee and other goodies emerge. Wonderful now (though needs decanting, and will age beautifully. Learn More

Produced in Piedmont, specifically in the famed Langhe Hills, this beautifully structured Nebbiolo is aged for 12 months in a combination of large format French oak and stainless steel. This is more approachable than an equivalent Nebb from Barolo, the tannins, whilst noticeable and an important part of the wines structure, being less strident than you'll find in most wines from nearby Barolo or Barbaresco. Lots going on here from violet and red fruit aromatics, fresh straw, vanilla, liquorice and spice through truffles, which will continue to develop as the wine ages, plus tobacco and dark chocolate. A stunner after decanting and will cellar magnificently. Learn More

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

The best fruit from the Estate vineyard was handpicked and fermented as 90% whole bunches then treated to 9 months in older, large format French oak. It’s complex, offering mulberries, liquorice, olive, cassis, white pepper and plums before finishing with curlicues of cedary oak and a wave of fine tannins. A spectacular Shiraz. Sorry, this product is not available individually. Learn More

Delicate and complex and with a long life ahead of it, the 22 Redbrook Chard offers a tight citrus line underpinned by stonefruits, creamy lees and a hint of reductive smokiness and funk. Intense, fresh yet rich and with a beautiful texture.

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A bright, fresh wine combining the flavours of stone fruit, ripe pear and a touch of honey. Mouthfeel is good, and this wine responds well to decanting. Learn More

Aromas of stone fruit, a hint of vanilla bean, and ripe honeydew melon. A little salinity here too and some grip on the palate. A delightful Fiano that will absolutely improve with cellaring. Learn More

Leasingham wines have been around since the 1890s and have been steered by a series of legendary winemakers over the years. It wasn’t until the early 70s that the Bin series kicked off, with a Bin 61 Shiraz and a Bin 56 Cab Malbec. These were both highly prized for their exceptional quality and regular ability to out-perform wines selling at 2-3 times their asking price. A few of us from WD were lucky enough to attend a vertical tasting with Tim Knappstein (one of the aforementioned and legendary Leasingham alumni) a decade or so ago and came away incredibly impressed with the quality and consistency of the wines. We looked at over 20 vintages, and everything we tasted was still showing fruit, the best of them were exceptional. So it’s a little sad that the '21 may be the last vintage of the Bin 61 Shiraz. Lots of good stuff here, black tea, chocolate, coffee grounds, mint, plum, charcuterie, and blackberries. The overall impression is of mid-weight fruit, an even balance between softness, fine tannin and good length. Cracking value for money. Drink now through 2030. Learn More