Translation missing: en.A Look At The Loire + Basket Range Wines Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM: A Look At The Loire + Basket Range Wines Tasting this Saturday 3-6PM
A Look at the Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is easily the most diverse region in all of France - maritime Muscadet on the west coast through to Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and finally Sauvignon Blanc as you work your way inland and remains one of the most underrated regions of France from a quality/price perspective. We've pulled together 9 wines that capture the breadth of what the region can do across sparkling, whites and reds. For the full breakdown of the sub-regions, see our guidebook page to the Loire Valley otherwise, here's a snapshot worth diving into.
Starting with bubbles, the Benjamin Serer 'Vouvray Tradition Brut Nature' NV ($59) is a zero-dosage sparkling Chenin that punches above its weight and makes a great way to kick things off. On the whites, we start west with two Muscadets. The '24 'Bâtard-Langelier 'Les Prières' Muscadet ($40) is an entry Muscadet at everyday pricing, while the '22 'Domaine de la Pépière 'Clisson' ($80) steps up a gear as a single-cru bottling from granite soil vineyards in the south of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, from one of the great biodynamic vignerons of the Loire. Jumping east to Sauvignon Blanc country, the '23 'Daniel Chotard 'Sancerre Classique' ($82) is a classic, precise Sancerre from a small family domaine and a great entry point into the serious end of the appellation. The '23 'François Cotat 'Sancerre La Grande Côte' ($199) sits at the apex - François and his cousin Pascal split the family domaine in Chavignol back in the 90s and work near-identical parcels in a near-identical style, making what is easily one of the best expressions of Sauvignon Blanc in the world and absolutely nothing like the mass-produced monstrosities of Marlborough. Closing out the whites, the '24 'Fabien Duveau 'Hunaudiere Saumur Blanc' ($59) is a taut, site-driven Saumur Chenin from the middle of the region.
------------------
Basket Range Tasting
Saturday 2nd of May
3pm - 6pm
Join us this Saturday as we taste through the new releases from Basket Range Wine - one of the most exciting young producers coming out of the Adelaide Hills.
We've tasted Sholto Broderick's wines multiple times over the last couple of years and they're getting more impressive with every passing vintage. These are wines that are starting to sit alongside Gentle Folk at the top of the tree of modern Adelaide Hills producers carving out their own spot, and Sholto is one of the winemakers we think will help propel the region onto the global stage. He deserves a lot more attention than he currently gets, and as he evolves as a winemaker we all get to taste the benefits.
Sholto's winemaking story starts in 2015, when he began his viticulture and oenology degree at Adelaide University, and by 2016 he was making his first wines off the family site - a Pinot Noir, a Cab-Merlot blend, and a field blend of Pinot, Petit Verdot, Merlot and a touch of Saperavi. The same year, he travelled to Southern France to work a vintage with natural wine producer Mylène Bru near Corbières - a formative experience whose combination of meticulous attention to detail and low-intervention winemaking still shapes his approach today. Everything is farmed organically, and beyond small sulphur additions on some cuvées there are no additions in the cellar.
Sholto's father Phil planted the family's first vines in the Basket Range back in the 1970s, started the Basket Range Wines label in 1988 and later replanted a neighbouring orchard site with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and (across most of the 12.5 hectares) Pinot Noir - the fruit source Sholto is now working off.
Sholto has been showing us his new releases as they come out over the last couple of years, a humble character who lets the wines do the talking. These are the wines that we'll be pouring on the day:
Basket Range 'Hills' Chardonnay 2025
Basket Range 'Estate' Chardonnay 2024
Basket Range Rosé 2025
Basket Range 'Banksia' Pinot Noir 2025
Basket Range 'Estate' Pinot Noir 2024
Basket Range 'Bantam' Red Blend 2024
Basket Range 'Estate' Cabernet Blend 2023
See you there!
For the reds it's the Cabernet Franc show - the flagship red of the region. The '22 'Arnaud Lambert 'Clos Mazurique Saumur Rouge' ($56) is a bright, savoury Saumur from the fine boned end of the Cab Franc. The '24 'Domaine du Bel Air 'Les Vingts Lieux Dits' ($74) is a blend from 20 named parcels for something more structured and concentrated. Finally, the '23 'Guiberteau 'Saumur Les Moulins' ($75) from Romain Guiberteau - one of the best producers in the entire Loire Valley - is age-worthy Cab Franc for those happy to give it some time in the cellar.
Pick a few of these up and let the Loire do its thing - don't miss out!