Wine New Products

THE OLD BLOKE & THE THREE YOUNG BLONDES + THE ATHAZAGORAPHOBIC CAT

Distributed by: Young & Rashleigh Wine Merchants (ACT), Empire Liquor (SA), Thomas Chin (NT), The Wine Company (VIC), The Wine Tradition (QLD), Inglewood Wine Merchants (NSW), Off The Vine (WA) and David Johnstone & Associates (TAS) RRP: $200

d’Arenberg has released two new, ultra-premium wines to the market and they are no exception to the brand’s quirky naming convention. The Old Bloke & The Three Young Blondes is a shiraz dominant blend, with roussane, viognier and marsanne, while The Athazagoraphobic Cat is made from a blend of sagrantino and cinsault, varieties native to Italy and Southern France. Some might joke that the old bloke is Chester and the three young blondes are his daughters - the fifth generation who will carry on the d’Arenberg tradition - while The Athazagoraphobic Cat is named in memory of a plain tabby called Audrey Hepburn, nicknamed Ordinary. Suffering from the fear of being forgotten, Audrey was often seen around the winery trotting close to Chester’s heels. The pair are individually packaged in paper wraps and unique letterpress labels that explain the story behind the name and d’Arenberg’s iconic red stripe.

WOLF BLASS 2016 LUXURY COLLECTION

Distributed by: Treasury Wine Estates

Wolf Blass has released its 2016 Luxury Collection. The collection features five of the most premium and best Wolf Blass wines, including the White Label Piccadilly Chardonnay 2015 (RRP $33.99), Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013 (RRP $44.99), Grey Label Langhorne Creek Cabernet Shiraz 2013 (RRP $44.99), Medlands Vineyard Platinum Label Shiraz 2012 (RRP $199.99) and the 40th vintage release of Black Label. The Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Malbec 2012 retails for $129.99 and is being hailed as the finest Black Label yet, inspired by the 40 remarkable vintages that precede it. True to style, the 2012 vintage is a sophisticated, multi-layered wine with a complex composition of intense fruit and magnificent structure. 821 SOUTH MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC

Distributed by: Treasury Wine Estates RRP: Contact TWE for pricing

Named after a vast mountain range in the Southern Alps of Marlborough, 821 South is a crisp wine that is ripe with citrus and tropical fruits. The wine has been released exclusively to the on-premise. Made using grapes from some of the most sought after vineyards in Marlborough in addition to state of the art winemaking facilities, Angus McPherson, TWE’s Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, said, “You’d be hard pressed to find a wine of similar quality at its price point.”

2015 PARINGA ESTATE CHARDONNAYS

Distributed by: Paringa Estate RRP: $27 (Peninsula) & $40 (Estate)

The first vines of Paringa Estate were planted in 1985 in the classic cool climate sub-region of Red Hill at an altitude of 140 metres. From the first vintage in 1988 with three tonnes of fruit, now an average season processes around 200 tonnes of fruit using a distinctly unique Lyre trellis system.

2015 Peninsula Chardonnay:

The bouquet is floral and fruit driven with citrus and stone fruit aromas. The palate has rich stone fruit flavours, good texture and a persistent long finish. While this wine has been made for current drinking it will build further complexity over the next three to six years. 2015 Estate Chardonnay: The bouquet has a complex floral lift of citrus and stone fruit, with some secondary barrel ferment lees aromas. The palate has cool climate white fleshy stone fruits, citrus and savoury nutty barrel ferment flavours. The wine has good palate weight and fine natural acid that leads to a long and persistent finish. Six to eight years bottle age recommended.