Translation missing: en.Bodega Chacra + Vouette et Sorbée + Keller + Tom Shobbrook Tasting Saturday 10th 3pm-6pm + MEET THE MAKER La Violetta In-Store Friday 9th 5:30pm-7:30pm: Bodega Chacra + Vouette et Sorbée + Keller + Tom Shobbrook Tasting Saturday 10th 3pm-6pm + MEET THE MAKER La Violetta In-Store Friday 9th 5:30pm-7:30pm
Bodega Chacra
Bodega Chacra was created by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta in 2004 with the intention of finding the most unobstructed expression of the climate, micro-climate, and terrior of Mainqué in the Río Negro region of Patagonia. Piero is the grandson of the founder of Sassicaia - the pioneer of the 'Super-Tuscan' movement, so he is bringing some exceptional knowledge and experience to this estate. Piero strives to make wines that are transparent, pure, delicate and floral with a strong minerality using biodynamic principles in the vineyard.
"Wine is intimate and touches all our senses. Chacra aims to enhance that connection."
The vineyards are located in the ideal spot for Pinot Noir production. Río Negro is located right in the middle of Patagonia with a typical continental desert climate. Warm during the day with temperatures dropping by as much as 40 degrees at night to prolong the growing season, preserving the natural acidity and floral nature of Pinot Noir. The winds are extremely important in this region, reducing disease pressure and producing a cooling effect as they descends from the Andes mountain range, a mountain range that also protects the vineyards from heavy rain. A natural flood irrigation system has been established and used in the vineyard for decades, diverting what rain water it can to the roots without the use of any technology to make up for the little rain that the area receives.
Soils are mainly acidic, sandy loams and silty loams, while in the dry plain, extensive gravel mantels known as ‘Rodados Patagónicos’ or ‘Patagonian Shingle Formation’ can be found. A high iron concentration before the Río Negro produces heavy red clay soils in the “Mainqué” area. There is an array of animals and plants that can be found on the estate to improve biodiveristy - a full list of which can be found on their site for those that are curious.
We've managed to secure a couple bottles of each of Chacra's main offerings to share with you. As an entry to their range, we have the '23 'Barda' Pinot which comes from the younger ungrafted vines on the estate and is meant to be consumed while fresh and vibrant. We also have the '21 'Sin Azufre' which is a handcrafted personal project by Piero himself. It is an experiment of making wine without science, using only the eyes, nose, palette, and reasoning as tools. Moving up the Pinot range, we have the '23 'Cinqueta Y Cinco' which comes from vineyards planted in 1955 that gently rest on a sea of pebbles, typical in riverbed soils. It is fermented whole cluster at very low temperatures, enhancing the floral characteristics of the wine. Finally, we have the top-of-the-line '22 'Trienta Y Dos' which is a single vineyard wine, made from old vineyards planted in 1932 on a land layered with clay, sand and pebbles. This is considered by many to be the best South American Pinot there is. In Chardonnay, we have the '23 'Mainque' as well as the other top wine, the '23 'Chacra' Chardonnay which is produced from 40 year old vines in mineral soils with alluvial stones covered in calcaire. Both of these Chardonnays are made in collaboration with the Meursault legend - Jean-Marc Roulot. Bodega Chacra has been on the radar of just about anyone into wine. We only have a couple bottles of each of these so get in quick before they're gone!Vouette et Sorbée
Vouette et Sorbée are one of Champagne's greatest grower producers, led by the legendary winemaker Bertrand Gautherot. Bertrand parted ways with a local co-op in 1993 when he wanted to go all in on farming organically, with this estate having been certified biodynamic since 1998. Most of the local growers in this region of Aube have followed suit too, thanks to the path that was paved by Bertrand's hard work in the area.
“The culture of the vine is my passion.”
Bertrand Gautherot is first and foremost, a grower rather than a winemaker per se. His commitment to biodynamic farming methods in the vineyard; however, are not dogmatic, rather, he employs them because they produce better wines stating “You don’t drink a wine because it’s biodynamic, you drink it because it’s good.” With this respect for the land as a grower rather than as a winemaker, these wines feel more like wines foremost and Champagne second and may share more in common with a Chablis than the average bottle of Champagne.
In the cellar, Gautherot uses the traditional Coquard press and transfers the juice by gravity into either oak or amphora. Fermentation is carried out naturally by indigenous yeasts while riddling and disgorgement are done by hand. The wines are then bottled without fining, filtration or dosage. The resulting wines are packed full of character, complexity and vibrancy that is unparalleled in Champagne.
We have a great selection of Bertrand's Champagne to offer, but only small quantities of the top elusive wines. The 'Fidele Blanc de Noirs' is an excellent starting point to Bertrand's Champagne, and is the only wine he makes that isn't a vintage wine, and this still only uses about 5% reserve wine in the blend. We have the 'Blanc d'Argile' in the '19 and '20 vintages which is a Blanc de Blancs from a small parcel of Chardonnay within the cold, west-facing, Kimmeridgian limestone-rich lieu-dit of Biaunes. This was planted from cuttings from Anselme Selosse's vines in Avize and Vincent Dauvissat's vines in Valmur, without preparing the soil surrounded by vegetation. This is an extremely exciting wine and a great option for those not wanting to bite the bullet on the more expensive bottles. The 'Textures' is an extremely rare Champagne of 100% Pinot Blanc and is perhaps the most approachable wine of the range, without losing complexity. The 'Saignee de Sorbee' is another interesting one, Gautherot harvests the plot for this wine in multiple passes, with only the smallest bunches and ripest fruit making it into this cuvee. This drinks like something halfway between a light red and rose Champagne. Finally, we have the 'Extrait' in both the '11 and '13 vintages. These spend 8-9 years on their lees, building irresistible texture and complexity. This is some of the greatest grower Champagne on the market, pick some of these up to experience something off the beaten path.Keller
Keller is without a doubt, not just one of the greatest producers of German Riesling, but one of the greatest white wine producers in the world. Jancis Robinson has even gone as far as to describe them as "German Montrachets". This can be backed up by the fact that they are also members of the VDP, the association of German growers that assure quality. Klaus-Peter Keller and his wife, Julia, took over the day-to-day direction of Weingut Keller in 2001, making them the 9th generation of winemakers in the region. Klaus-Peter took over after some study and internships at some of the best Domaines in Burgundy, including Armand Rousseau. His love for Burgundy can be seen in his wines too, producing wines that, despite their power, contain layers of complexity and finesse.
Weingut Keller are based in the region of Rheinhessen, a region that is usually associated with lower quality, high volume wines. However, Keller have been responsible for revitalising the region and showing the potential in these sites. Vineyards that had been forgotten about, Kirchspiel, Hubacker, Morstein and Abtserde to name a few, are now commanding some of the highest prices for Riesling in Germany. Klaus-Peter encourages a longer ripening period in the vineyard which is how he produces powerfully concentrated wines. Since it is the photosynthesizing of leaves that produce the sugar that accumulates in grapes, he adjusts the ratio of leaves-to-bunches to ensure optimal ripening late in the season. He has also started to work biodynamically to ensure the soils are healthy and in optimal condition and of course, only the very best grapes make the cut. In the cellar, Klaus-Peter follows a non-interventionist winemaking approach, interfering as little as possible in order to preserve the natural potential of the grapes to produce top-quality wines that are typical of the vineyards and are influenced by their terroir. An interesting approach that Klaus-Peter takes as well is to allow the grapes to macerate on their skins for 24 hours prior to pressing. Every one of these decisions in the vineyard and cellar contribute to making some of the greatest wines on the planet.
We have 5 different Keller wines at the moment starting with the '20 'Limestone' Riesling which would be a great first bottle if you haven't tried Keller's wines before. We also have the '22 'Limestone Kabinett' which is made from slightly riper grapes that go into the regular 'Limestone' bottling. The '20 'Von der Fels' is the perfect wine for those willing to make a small jump up in price for a big jump in quality. The '22 'RR' Riesling would also fit this bill but would definitely benefit from a bit more time in the cellar being 2 years younger than than the 'Von der Fels'. Finally, we have an extraordinary and unique wine - the '22 'Feuervogel Sylvaner'. This is a wine that is extremely hard to find outside of Germany (and difficult in Germany, for that matter) and represents probably the best expression of the painfully underrated Sylvaner grape. It is clear that Keller make some of the best whites in the world, it would be foolish not to pick some of these up!Tom Shobbrook Tasting Saturday 10th August 3pm-6pm
This Saturday we'll be showcasing the ecstatic wines of Tom Shobbrook - one of the prominent members of the minimal intervention wine movement in Australia. Based in the Flaxman Valley district of the famous Eden Valley, Tom makes wines with exceptional character and personality in a more refined style to what is typical of the Barossa Zone. These are the wines that we'll be pouring on the day:Sammion 2022
Chardonnay 2022
Pedro 2022
Riesling 2022
Giallo 2022
Grenache 2019
Poco Rosso NV
This is a fantastically diverse lineup of wines that'll definitely leave an impression on you. See you there!
MEET THE MAKER
In-Store Tasting
Friday 9th 5:30pm-7:30pm
We will be hosting the winemaker from Great Southern's La Violetta in store this Friday, the 9th of August. La Violetta's wines always do well at our store so I'm sure some of you may be familiar with some of them already. This is a great chance to taste through a great variety of wines from one of Australia's most underrated wine regions. These are the wines that the winemaker Andrew Hoadley will be pouring for you:
Das Sakrileg Riesling 2023
Suave Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Chagrin Chardonnay 2021
Penury Pinot Noir 2023
Fric Frac Cabernet Franc 2023
Syrah Soul 2020
This is an excellent lineup with something for everyone. Pop into the store after work for a taste of some great wines!