Translation missing: en.New Chanterêves release + Ephemera Tasting this Saturday + New wines from Koerner + PYCM: New Chanterêves release + Ephemera Tasting this Saturday + New wines from Koerner + PYCM
Chanterêves
Chanterêves started in 2010 by husband and wife, Tomoko Kuriyama and Guillaume Bott. They're what you call "négociant-vinificateurs," meaning they buy grapes from growers and turn them into their own wines and have also started to purchase vineyards of their own to increase their holdings. All farmed organically and many using biodynamic treatments too.
Tomoko, originally hailing from Japan, has been immersed in the culture of great food and wine since her youth. Her culinary roots trace back to her grandmother, a famous cooking instructor who even hosted her own cooking show on Japanese TV. Her father's deep love for Bordeaux and Burgundy ensured that wine played a significant role in her upbringing too. Tomoko embarked on her professional journey in Germany, honing her craft under the mentorship of esteemed figures such as Paul Fürst, Peter Jakob Kühn, and Hermann Schmoranz at Weingut Georg Breuer. She further solidified her expertise by earning an engineering degree in oenology and viticulture from Geisenheim University. Prior to launching Chanterêves, Tomoko served as the production manager at Weingut Altenkirch in Rheingau, specializing in Riesling and Pinot Noir. Her relocation to Burgundy took place in 2011 but she first met Guillame in 2005 when Tomato worked vintage at Domaine Simon Bize et Fils.
Guillaume, born in Dijon and raised in Beaune, had wine in his blood being from Burgundy. He chose to study winemaking at the Lycée Viticole of Beaune. Guillaume's initial foray into the wine world was as the trusted assistant to Gérard Boudot of Domaine Etienne Sauzet in Puligny-Montrachet. Over seven years with Sauzet, Guillaume garnered extensive experience in the art of vinifying the renowned Chardonnay terroirs of Burgundy. In pursuit of expanding his mastery to encompass Pinot Noir, he joined Domaine Simon Bize et Fils in Savigny-les-Beaune in 2002, working alongside Patrick Bize. Remarkably, Guillaume remains the cellar master at Bize to this very day.
Their wines are all handled very gently and in a manner that retains the purity of the fruit. The whole range are delicate, unadulterated expressions of their terroir that aren't masked by new oak or winery tricks and highlight the effort and craftsmanship the couple put into each vintages. - Pete L
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Ephemera Wines
Saturday 7th of October
3-6PM
Rhenn Dodd and Janelle De Gabrielle are the duo behind Ephemera Wines, based in the Yarra Valley. They describe their project as an exploration of Victorian vineyards, as they are not tied to a single site and work with growers across the state to source fruit. They produce a mix of varieties that highlight the diversity of grapes grown in Victoria, with a heavy lean towards the Italian side of things.
We've stocked their wines for years, mainly focusing on their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir offerings, with the occasional Italian in the mix too when available. However, this will be the first time we've had the entire range from their new release available and open to taste! We got a sneak peek at the wines a few weeks back, and it's the best they've ever tasted. There was a clear style across the range that focused on the purity of the fruit and a lightness of touch without sacrificing detail or flavour. This is definitely worth dropping for! - Pete L
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Pierre Yves Colin Morey
One of the most sought after producers in Burgundy these days is Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, or PYCM for short. PYCM’s wines are becoming more and more sought after globally and for good reason.
Based in Chassagne-Montrachet, PYCM makes wines from a collection of sites across the Côte de Beaune and a few red cuvees from sites in the Côte de Nuits, such as Vosne-Romanée for example.
His whites are hallmarked by a classic gun flint reduction, aged in 350L French oak barrels which helps to retain energy and freshness while minimising creaminess and oak spice in the wines. His entry level wines are always some of the best Burgundy whites on offer each year, and as a team we try to make sure to taste a bottle of the Bourgogne Blanc and Bourgogne Aligoté as soon as we can. Unfortunately this year we might not get a chance as the Aligoté is already gone and the Bourgogne Blanc, not far off!
As is common these days, a lot of the wines are consumed on release and will certainly benefit from air, if that is your plan. But we strongly recommend putting the wines down for a spell, to give them a chance to truly show themselves. A bit of time in the cellar helps these wines gain layers of complexity, filling out and making for a much more exciting drinking experience.
As always there are two releases from this producer each year with the higher tier wines to follow in several months time.
Don’t sleep on these as there is never enough to go around, especially for that Aligoté we mentioned, which has already sold out! - Pete L
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Koerner Wines
New Release
Koerner Wines is the passion project of brothers Damon and Jono Koerner. Damon and Jono's family have strong roots in the Clare Valley - their parents have owned and operated Gullyview vineyard for over 40 years. Gullyview is situated within the Watervale sub-region and supplies the brothers with nearly all the fruit used for their wines, with a few additional parcels sourced from surrounding vineyards.
Their wines exist to reflect the place they come from and the boys offer a reinvigorated take on a region renowned for producing some of Australia's best wines. Vigilance in the vineyard, picking at the right times and careful decisions in the winery guide the wine to bottle. Combining these factors enables them to avoid the use of additives or enzymes to clean up their wines and hide any mishaps. Their understanding of their home block and surrounding sites - farmed organically - mean top quality fruit produced in the vineyards translating to top quality wine in bottle. Only minimal sulphur additions are used during the winemaking process.
A more modern mindset and approach to the traditional wines of the region mean the wines are brighter, fresher and more vibrant than more traditional wines produced in the Clare Valley.
The reds tend to be lighter in style across the board, picked early to retain natural acidity - no heavy hands in the winery to avoid over extraction! - with the ultimate goal being drinkability. The first wine I ever tried from the Koerner's was their Pigato Vermentino and for anybody else who's had the pleasure of trying this wine... you know how good it is. The boys aren't afraid of a bit skin contact either, building texture and mouthfeel to their white wines adding layers of complexity to their focused and typically aromatic whites.
They work with traditional Clare Valley varieties like Cabernet and Riesling whilst also making wines using some rather unconventional varieties for the region like Sciacarello, Vermentino and even some Carignan!
Each release garners more interest in these wines and they tend to fly off our shelves so if you are curious to try these wines click that link below!