Translation missing: en.Top 24 Wines of 2024 + Gift Cards + Italian Wine Tasting Saturday 21st 3pm-6pm: Top 24 Wines of 2024 + Gift Cards + Italian Wine Tasting Saturday 21st 3pm-6pm
Top 24 of 2024
2024 is coming to an end with the fun times of Christmas and NYE just around the corner. This was an eventful and fun-filled year for the store with many wines tasted, customers served, lots of weekend tastings and a Wine Fair in November to cap it all off. We thought it would be fitting to provide you all with a list of 24 wines that excited us in 2024 across a range of styles and prices. There is something in here for everyone. With no further ado, these are our top 24 wines of 2024, in no particular order...
Tenute delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco 2023
A pristine Etna white blend made with minimal intervention. Think citrus fruits with a fresh salty edge on the nose. More in the mouth too, with elegant citrus and white peach fruits and that sense of minerality. So clean and fresh. 12.5% alc. Fine wine. - Michael L
Valli Unite Terragno Bianco 2021
Fresh, mouth-watering acidity with classic vibrant Cortese notes of lemon, lime, apple, white peach and a touch of almond. Great weight on the palate and a long, clean finish. - Aaron C.
Dilworth and Allain Goonawarra Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
Sourced from a beautiful Chardonnay parcel in the Goonawarra vineyard in Sunbury, Victoria. Many layers and depth of primary fruit and savoury, secondary characters. It's a rich and full bodied Chardonnay which is coiled around a tightly-woven backbone of acidity and a pleasant flinty reduction giving the wine added complexity. It's long and generous. A beautifully crafted wine made with minimal intervention for full expression. A highlight of Australian Chardonnay this year. - Chris L
Frankland Estate Cabernet Franc 2022
Ooo baby! One of my favourite Cabernet Franc's from Australia and it won't break the bank. Red and black fruits with violet florals and characteristic 'Franc' herbs all packaged into a medium-bodied, juicy and suave bottle of wine. Unbelievably moreish and a great accompaniment to most Aussie dinner tables. - Chris L
Accornero Campomoro Barbera 2019
This has everything you'd want from a Barbera - a nice combination of dark and red fruits, violet, lavender and the faintest touch of earthiness. a Juicy body with nice tannins. Perfect for drinking now with a nice piece of meat. - Aaron C.
Adrien Renoir Champagne Le Terroir Brut NV
This wine is made using forty year old vines from a Grand Cru site in Verzy, Montagne de Reims. It's a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that spends 11 months in barrel and a further two years on lees in bottle. There is also a 20% inclusion of reserve wine that is added to the blend that is kept in foudre. This is a deep and powerful Champagne that is layered with brioche and shortbread crust that's flecked with red fruits. Very moreish. - Pete L
Famille Paquet Macon Villages Nos Cinq Terroirs Blanc 2023
This is great drinking. Really classic Chardonnay from Macon that drinks like the top end of Bourgogne Blancs that are typically twice the price. It's fuller and rounder leading out with fruit and not dominated by oak or winemaking. It's a very smart wine. - Pete L
Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2019
An incredible Barolo from a legendary vintage. Tasted with Barbara Sandrone herself, this Barolo opened with red cherries, cranberry, roses and assorted herbs and spices. Fantastic acidity and tannic structure with a ridiculously long finish. This is a wine that is definitely built for the cellar but surprisingly offers a lot of pleasure in its youth with some air. - Aaron C.
Cantina Tollo Rocca Ventosa Pinot Grigio 2023
Without a doubt this is the best value Pinot Grigio in-store. Fresh and crisp, yet balanced within it's body. Easy. - Chris L
Defialy Candlebark Hill Chardonnay 2023
Macedon is quickly becoming recognised as one of the best regions of Chardonnay in the country and it's easy to see why. This wine has power and elegance. A nose of stone fruits with some white flowers and honey. Lots of tension on the palate with great acidity and minerality on the back palate. A fantastic Macedon Chard. - Aaron C
De Bortoli The Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023
Classic Yarra Valley Pinot Noir from the De Bortoli family. Light bodied, tangy red fruits and sweet plum backed by spicy savouriness. Exceptional value. - Chris L
An absolute winner here. This is Sangiovese from Abruzzo that's juicy, mid weight and the perfect mid week drink. There's lot of the typical cherry character you get from Sangiovese backed up with a little herbal character that makes this a really food focused wine. This is going to work with a lot of foods and also be a mid week star on it's own. - Pete LLaurent Chardigny Macon-Aze Gamay 2020
A crunchy red-fruited Gamay from Burgundy that absolutely overdelivers. This light red is an absolute no-brainer in my books. Can serve slightly chilled if desired. - Chris L
Eleven Sons Cabane Beige Semillon 2023
Semillon from a special site on the Limestone Coast that Mitch from Eleven Sons has wanted fruit from for a while. This is riper and fleshier than your typical Hunter Valley Semillon which I am very happy about. It's still got all that fresh lime and citrus running through it but there's a bit more texture and interest which keeps me coming back for more. - Pete L
Lauren Langfield Norton Summit Sauvignon Blanc 2023
An Aussie Sauvignon Blanc inspired by the wines of Pouilly-Fume. Lots of density and richness to this due to the ageing and batonage in French oak barriques for 8 months. A nose of grapefruit, jasmine, beeswax and some nuttiness. Bold yet elegant, as the best expressions of Sauvignon Blanc are. - Aaron C.
Max Ferdinand Richter Estate Riesling 2021
This entry level Mosel Riesling is exceptional. Pure and varietal, and so well balanced. There is a little residual sugar here to balance the very high acidity, but it's the fruit profile and minerality that really shines. Can't go wrong! - Chris L
Le Coste Litrozzo Bianco 2022 1000ml (Preservative Free)
An energetic white from Lazio (near Rome) in Italy. Everything Le Coste produces is fun, but this is their party wine! A blend of Procanico and Malvasia along with an array of other native varieties from the region. The wine is full of freshness and zippy acidity sure to add life to any party. Delicious! - Chris L
Gullyview Estate Brothers Riesling 2024
A fantastic Clare Valley Riesling - this is a great one for those that are not fond of the petrol character that Clare Riesling can often pick up. This has a nose of lemon, lime, white flowers and crushed rocks with vibrant acidity, a nice lean body and a refreshing finish. As a Riesling-lover, there's not much more you could ask for. - Aaron C.
Domaine de L’Arlot Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Forets 1er Cru 2021
A beautifully perfumed bouquet of red strawberry, roses, spices and sandalwood jump from the glass. Hints of undergrowth, violets, tea leaves and vanilla bean emerge with more time. On the palate this has crisp acidity and a small amount of extremely fine-grained tannins with a larger presence of spice than on the nose. This is a great example of how 1er grapes can handle whole bunches (50%) and new oak (50%) elegantly. This has immediate drinking pleasure but will surely age gracefully over the decade. - Aaron C.
Beechworth is proving to be an excellent source of cooler climate Shiraz. This wine opens with a robust perfume of dark cherries, roses, cocoa, spices and ground coffee. There is great structure to this wine but is absolutely enjoyable in its youth as well. Great to drink now with some air or hold on to throughout the decade. - Aaron C.
A deliciously dangerous wine to open because it doesn't last long. Super glug-able light red made from Cinsault and Mourvedre from an organic and biodynamic vineyard in the Barossa. I recommend serving it chilled. - Chris L
Ravensworth The Grainery Field Blend 2022
A Rhone-esque blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne as seen through the lens of Bryan Martin. The nose is layered and complex, with Golden Delicious apple, Meyer lemon, white pepper spice and light floral blossom notes. The palate is wonderfully textural, with good weight and plenty of stonefruit. It's concentrated, but retains freshness and line thanks to a bracing acidity. Lovely wine. - Pete L
Occhipinti Contrada Pettineo Rosso 2021
This opened up with a beautiful Burgundy-like bouquet after a bit over an hour in the decanter. Sour red and black cherries, red and black plums, violets, lavender, baking spices with a touch of barnyard funk, mushroom and forest floor. Great structure that provides the backbone for this wine to age gracefully into the next decade but is drinking incredibly well now. Seductive and intoxicating. - Aaron C.
The marquee Rose cuvee from Clos Cibonne and I can see why. The Caroline is in a league of its own! This complexing and layered Rose comes from the best plots in the vineyard and is aged in large casks which tie the wines attributes together seemlessly. It's poised aromatics are juxtaposed to it's powerful palate which has length like I've never seen before in Rose. Phenomenal! - Chris LGift Cards
Gift cards are often looked at as being a lazy gift or one lacking personal thought - I can assure you as a wine-lover that gift cards are absolutely not and are possibly the best gift we can receive. Gift cards represent the freedom to choose exactly what we want as opposed to receiving a bottle that (with all due respect) we do not care for.
In conversation with customers purchasing Christmas gifts, it is all too common to see that they are not entirely sure what the recipient likes which can make it difficult to select an appropriate bottle.
"I think they like reds?"
"Sure, lighter or fuller bodied?"
"Fuller bodied, I'm pretty sure they like Shiraz but I've also seen them drink Pinot and like it. Oh actually what are these Italian whites here?"
We have these interaction multiple times a day and as you can tell, it can be quite difficult to effectively suggest an appropriate wine (but we do our best!) A gift card solves all of these issues and avoids accidentally buying the wrong vintage or a Champagne with a slightly different disgorgement date to what they wanted. I can assure you as a wine lover that I would prefer a gift card 95% of the time to a bottle unless the person knew exactly what I wanted. In this sense, gift cards are actually more thoughtful.
We offer a range of physical and digital gift cards for your convenience. With less than a week before Christmas, this is probably the way to go for gifts.Italian Wine Tasting
Saturday 21st
3pm-6pm
Join us this Saturday for a tasting of some fresh and exciting minimal-intervention wines from Italy! This tasting will showcase that wonderful styles from all over Italy - from north to south specifically selected by Paski's Giorgio. These are the wines that Giorgio will be pouring on the day:
2023 Alla Costiera Bianco Lieviti 2023
2022 Il Vei Malvasia Frizzante
2023 Alla Costiera Fior d'Arancio
2023 Caravaglio Salina Bianco
2022 Le Coste Litrozzo Rosato
2023 Benotti Rosavica Nebiulina Langhe Nebbiolo
These are some excellent and refreshing wines to taste and pick up for these hot summer months or if you're looking for any last minute wines to bring to the Christmas lunch!
Wishing you a great week from the team: Chris, Pete and Aaron.