Rusty Mutt Irvine Solaris Leasingham Cantine Vitevis Evans & Tate Lienert Vineyards 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

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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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

The 3rd, and best release of Sieben Klon Shiraz so far - no surprise, given this is from the exceptional 2021 vintage. Made by former Penfolds St Henri growers, the Lienert brothers, each of the 7 distinct clones were harvested and fermented separately - the harvest date chosen to best allow each grape to express its best characters. For instance, the EVOS12 (Eden Valley clone) was harvested earlier than the others to allow for a beautiful perfume and liveliness in the final wine. Fermentation is done in tiny open top fermenters which are hand plunged up to 4 times a day. Certain clones are fermented cooler to better express delicate aromatics whilst some are plunged and pumped over heavily to achieve a more structural element. The trick is finding the right balance. Anyways, we love this wine and encourage you to give it a rip. Learn More

The Lienert’s have been farming in the Barossa for 150 years and decided to add some vines to their property about 20 years ago. The first fruit from 2004 and 2005 vintages went straight to the pool room, aka into Penfold’s St Henri. Funnily enough they then planted a lot more vines and introduced many more clonal variations of Shiraz and Grenache. This Grenache is a brilliant amalgam of aromatics and pristine fruit, thanks to the careful clonal selection and extensive blending trials undertaken before settling on the final ‘just right blend’. Whilst called Sieben Klon (Seven Clones) the Grenache actually includes 8 separate clones. This vintage is a little lighter, yet more aromatically lifted than the 21 vintage. It’s a cracker. Learn More

Florals, orange blossom. honeydew melon,and rose petals which lead into moving citrus and jasmine as the wine opens. Excellent acidity here and a lovely mouthfeel making for a wine which is both strident and charming in equal measure. Will cellar well, revealing a honeyed character as it ages. Learn More

Quality pinot which is relaxed and ready to drink. Plenty of red fruit fragrance here, plenty of spice, wild mushroom and cured meat on the palate, and a fleshiness which quality Pinot always seems to offer. Learn More