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Standish + Henri Germain + Côtes du Rhône Spotlight

by Annandale Cellars

Standish

The Standish have without a doubt cemented themselves as one of (if not, the greatest) producer of Shiraz in the country whose wines could outperform Australia's so-called "flagship" wines: Grange and Hill of Grace for less than 20% of the price. Dan Standish started this winery in 1999 as a sixth generation Barossan while he was still working for Torbreck and wanted to dedicate it entirely to Shiraz. Dan bought a parcel of land from his family on which he had first learned to prune vines by his grandfather at just 6 years old, which is now the source for "The Relic", and has since purchased a few other plots of land that he believes are significant and unique.

Dan ferments and matures all batches of fruit separately and then employs a rigorous selection than can lead to up to 80% off the crop being sold off in bulk to other buyers, retaining only the best of the best batches to be bottled and bare his name. Coming off the back of the fantastic 2022 vintage, the 2023 vintage is also looking strong right out of the gate.

There are 4 key wines here in The Standish portfolio, all sourced from different vineyards but made in a similar way and therefore speak to their respective terroir. First is the self-titled wine, sourced from the Laycock family vineyard in Greenock which is often thought to be a great introduction to Dan's range of wines. We have this in both the '22 and '23 vintages. Next is the '23 and '22 'The Relic' which is a Northern-Rhone style blend of 99% Shiraz and 1% Viognier sourced from the Hongell family vineyard in Krondorf. The Viognier adds a pristine aromatic lift and suppleness to the wine, even with only 1% in the final cuvee that makes this wine the most perfumed and sensual out of the range. Then we have the '23 and '22 'The Schubert Theorem' sourced from the famous Roennfeldt Rd in Marananga. This is the only wine to be aged in concrete egg which helps to retain a purity of fruit and chewy, chalky tannins. Finally, we have the '23 'Lamella' which is sourced from Hutton Vale Farm in Eden Valley. All of these wines can age gracefully over the next 2 decades or can be drunk earlier with a generous decant. Stock up on these before more rave reviews come out and we sell them all!

 

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Henri Germain

Henri Germain is perhaps the most underrated producer of white wine (and red, for that matter (in all of the Côte d'Or). Those that are in the know already know of how fantastic his wines are and it seems in recent years more export markets have clued in as well. Germain is the favourite winemaker of many other exceptional winemakers in Burgundy including none other than: Bruno Clair, Olivier Lamy, Benjamin Leroux and Thierry Pillot. This is your favourite winemaker's favourite winemaker.

Germain's methods are very traditional with organic farming, low yields and cellar work that keeps interference to a minimum. In 2004, thanks to subtle changes in viti and vini culture, the wines became more textural and more intense as a departure from the previous more austere wines that they produced. The hands-off vinification involves no added yeasts, no enzymes, nor any bâtonnage (bar extremely austere vintages like 1996). If the lees are ideal, the wines are not racked and the élevage lasts 18 months for the village wines and a full 22 months for the remaining wines. The wines are rarely fined or filtered and the cold cellars make for a very long, slow élevage, the malolactic conversion is always late, and the primary fermentations typically take between three and twelve months. Importantly, the wines see little new oak, usually between 20-30%.

We've already sold most of the wines that we bought from Henri Germain but we still have a little left to go around. Firstly, we have the '22 'Aligote' which comes from a single plot of vines planted in 1976 and ages half in wood and half in tank for 12 months. The '22 'Côte d'Or Bourgogne Blanc' is an excellent introduction to Germain's whites. We have a single bottle of the '22 Meursault' left which comes from 7 different lieux-dits within Meursault from vines averaging 15-70 years old. We also have a white from outside of Meursault - the '22 'Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Les Fairendes 1er' which is sourced from one of the 20 lieux-dits within this Premier Cru. Racy and mineral unlike many other wines from this site. The last white we have is the '22 'Meursault Charmes 1er' - a tightly wound Premier Cru full of energy and tension from one of the best sites in Meursault. We also have quite a few Germain reds, the '22 'Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge', '22 'Meursault Clos des Mouches Rouges' and the '22 'Savigny-Les-Beaune Aux Gravains 1er'. Germain's reds are also highly underrated, as are most reds that come from the Côte de Beaune and represent great value relative to most red Burgundies. This is one of Burgundy's greatest treasures, snap up these last few bottles before it's too late!

 

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Côtes du Rhône

Winter has well and truly made its presence known which means it that time of year - Côtes du Rhône season!

A bottle of Côtes du Rhône is the perfect winter companion as its ripe fruits, spice, earthiness and warming alcohol satiate the body and soul. They also usually represent excellent value - most bottles within the $30-$40 range punch well above their weight and that's after transport and taxes have been factored into the price.

Most wines of the Côtes du Rhône in the Southern Rhône Valley are based on the local grapes of the region; what we now know as a "GSM" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre). There can often be a few extra local grapes in the mix including Cinsault and Carignan and the exact percentages of the blend will vary between producer and vintage but the backbone will usually be the same - complex, medium-bodied reds that you can always rely on.

We've highlighted some of our Côtes du Rhône range below. Many of these are customer favourites that we've stocked for years because we stand by them and so do you. Some of these are newer editions to our Southern Rhône range like the Taparas and Domaine de la Mordorée which are fantastic and worth trying if you've only ever stuck with the classics.

Stock up on these perfect mid-week winter reds!

Wishing you a great week from the team: Chris, Pete and Aaron.

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