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Sicilian Natural tasting with Giorgio De Maria - This Saturday 3-6PM! + New Chatto release + Francois Cotat + Equipo Navazos!

by Annandale Cellars

Chatto Wines

2022 Release

After first trying a glass of Mount Pleasant Sémillon that blew him away in 1984, Jim Chatto has made a career out of convincing Mount Pleasant to employ him.

Unsuccessfully applying to work for Mount Pleasant at the completion of his studies in 1984 and again in 1993, Jim persevered to collect 20 Hunter vintages under his belt. Armed with this experience, not to mention an astute palate and knowledge as a senior wine show judge, finally in 2013, McWilliams Wines, makers of Mount Pleasant, brought him on as Chief Winemaker.

But hunting down the most pleasant job at the Hunter's Mount Pleasant has not been Jim's only life obsession. Jim moved to Tasmania as the inaugural winemaker for Rosevears Estate in the Tamar Valley in 1998, and there he found two new loves: Tasmanian Pinot Noir, and his wife, Daisy.

Daisy followed Jim back to the mainland, but the couple spent six years searching for the perfect vineyard site for Pinot. The Isle Vineyard in the Huon Valley at Glaziers Bay was first planted by Jim and Daisy back in 2007 and their first vintage was released in 2013. Despite being a hands-on personality with his time divided between the Hunter Valley, the Huon Valley and judging wines, Jim has learnt when to stand back, to let the vines speak for themselves.

The Chatto Wines label adds gravitas to the landscape of Australian Pinot Noir. Jim and Daisy are genuine small producers, crafting authentic wines from a range of sites across Tassie. The depth of knowledge and experience behind the wines is phenomenal. - Peta W

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Sicilian Naturals

with Giorgio De Maria

Saturday 21st of October

3-6PM

Giorgio De Maria is an acclaimed sommelier, restauranteur and importer of some of Europe's most exciting natural wines. Many of you will be familiar with him from his time running 121BC or even at his most recent venue Paski, in Darlinghurst.

He's been one of my favourite importers for years, partly because he is so nice and such a joy to be around, but more importantly because he imports a very thoughtful selection of wines from small producers across Europe that share his passion for honest viticulture. He recently dropped in to show me a selection of new arrivals from Sicily and the lineup was all hits, no misses... So much so that we decided to book in a Saturday tasting on the spot so you can try them too! - Pete L

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Francois Cotat

Francois Cotat crafts distinct, intricate, and long-lasting Sancerres at his petite 3-hectare estate located in the heart of the renowned Chavignol commune and in many peoples opinions, some of the best wines in the region. All of the wines are incredibly sought after, including the Rosé which is one of very few Rosé’s that needs time to develop and is designed to be cellared. 

The Cotat family have been producing wine in Chavignol since World War 2, producing a single cuvee in a cellar shared by Francis and Paul Cotat, Francois’s father and uncle. Following their retirement the vineyards were split between cousins Francois and Pascal, who both now produce wine in seperate cellars and under seperate labels, whilst both maintaining the old school approach to Sancerre that their fathers passed down to them. 

The vineyards, including Les Monts Damnés, Le Cul de Beaujeu, and La Grande Côte, are so steep, requiring entirely manual labor. Grapes are harvested later to maximise their flavour, and in the winery, François takes a highly traditional, hands-off approach, fermenting the juice in old demi-muids barrels using natural yeasts.

On occasion, François' wines have had to be reclassified as "basic" Vin de Table due to either higher residual sugar or alcohol levels than the appellation's regulations permit or because the local committee deems them excessively unconventional… An insane issue given the quality of the wines. 

The wines mature gracefully with time, with the potential for cellaring exceeding 50 years in exceptional vintages. These won't be around for long. - Pete L

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Equipo Navazos

Modern Sherry production mimics the rest of the large scale wine operations of the world focussing on consistency above all else. Equipo Navazos, like many of the producers we love to work with embrace the unique characters of vintage, variety, site and discovery. Their method stands in stark contrast to the pursuit of uniformity, as each release, marked by a numerical designation like "La Bota # ...," possesses its own origin story and distinctive character.

In 2005, a small group of friends and lovers of Sherry stumbled upon a remarkable find in a Sanlúcar de Barrameda cellar… Several dozen casks of exquisite amontillado, aged for over two decades, still resonating with life and flavour. Inspired by this discovery, they privately bottled 600 bottles for personal enjoyment and to share with fellow aficionados. They continued this endeavour twice more in the following year with different selections, gradually turning this passion project into a small business. 

Under the name "Equipo Navazos" they garnered attention from Sherry connoisseurs captivated by the depth and complexity of these small-batch releases. Despite the expansion of their reach and production over the years, their quantities remain limited, with releases often numbering in the mere hundreds or a few thousand bottles.

Equipo Navazos remains a passion project for its core members, both of whom maintain full-time careers. Jesús Barquín is a criminal law professor at the University of Granada and a respected authority on Andalusian wines. Eduardo Ojeda serves as the technical director of Grupo Estévez, which owns renowned houses like Valdespino and La Guita. Their reputations and connections grant them privileged access to the region's cellars, allowing them to influence their projects from an early stage in the production process.

The combination of this access and passion enables them to bottle by far the most capitvating Sherries I have ever tried. Their ability to pinpoint specific barrels that meet their standards from cellars all across Jerez is unmatched and understandably these wines command great attention globally. We are very lucky to have such a diverse selection from Equipo Navazos available in-store and online. - Pete L

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