It's a back-to-back wine weekend in the shop, with rows of bottles pouring both Friday and Saturday!
The man with perhaps the industry's warmest smile, Scott Rogash, is making his way up from Barossa once again to visit town, and he'll be manning our tasting table tomorrow (Friday 6th) between 5 and 7pm, pouring five of his colourful choices that are always timely quenchers for the summer season - the fan-favourite chilled option, the 'Baby Face' red blend, the savoury and saline Grenache de Blanc, the pine-lime edge of the 'Spliced' Riesling, thechocolately treat of the 'Breaker' Grenache Shiraz blend, and a brand-new label known as the 'Riptide', a blend of Semillon, Viognier and Roussanne!
Then Saturday (7th), it'll be an all-encompassing perspective of those magical lands to France's east, with great names from Burgundy, Chablisand Jura taking centre stage between 12 and 2pm! For Chablis, Samuel Billaud's outstanding ability in bringing out the unique characteristics of his terroirs will be highlighted across four distinct expressions - Petit Chablis, Chablis, and two Premier Cru's in the 'Mont de Milieu' and 'Séchet'. A choice from Gilbert Picq, a family estate in the tiny village of Chichée (to Chablis' southeast), will also greet your glass! Covering the red Burgundy aspect will be the Domaine des Rouges-Queues entry Côtes-des-Beaune option, and a village rouge from Yvon Clerget, a house with historical roots in the village of Volnay. Finally, the famed cool-climate textural style of Jura will be flaunted through the stunning 'Saugettes' from Pierre Girardin; a taut mineral take on Chardonnay, from low-yielding vines planted in 1970 on rich shallow limestone soils. What all of these wines will ultimately prove is the generosity and immediate appeal of France's 2023 season, with all eight bottles hailing from this great modern vintage!
We look forward to handing you your glass!
The Lineup -
'Spliced' Riesling 2025 - $25 on special this week ($28 RRP)
Grenache de Blanc 2025 - $27 on special this week ($30 RRP)
'Babyface' Red Blend 2025 - $27 on special this week ($30 RRP)
'The Breaker Blend' 2023 - $27 on special this week ($30 RRP)
Plus their new release, the 'Riptide' White Blend 2025
(with Semillon, Viognier and Roussanne!)
Gilbert Picq Chablis 2023 -
$70 on special this week ($79 RRP)
"The 2023 Chablis Village was assembled for my visit by Didier Picq from 10 vats. It has an attractive if light bouquet with apple blossom and fresh pear aromas. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a little creaminess towards the finish. This will drink well for 4-6 years." - Neal Martin, Vinous
"Blend made up. Fresh pale yellow, immediate energy on the nose, this keeps growing in the glass, with good tension, even a little pleasing bitterness at the finish. Very promising." - Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Samuel Billaud Petit Chablis 2023 -
$78 on special this week ($88 RRP)
"Lively and pure, the Petit Chablis from Samuel Billaud is reminiscent of more focused wines from Kimmeridgian soils. The aromas range from gooseberry to lemon peel and white peaches; there is a distinct flinty mineral note. The texture is not heavy, but the finish has surprising persistence. The grapes are from a parcel of 0.60ha planted by his father in 1976 on the Portlandian plateau at the top of the grand cru slope of Sur Les Clos." - Charles Curtis, Decanter
"Vines from 1976 on 41B rootstock, a windy site with some kimmeridgian soil. Pale lemon. A fine classy dry fruit on the nose. Delicious salinity, one of the best examples. Drink from 2025-2027." - Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
Samuel Billaud Chablis 2023 -
$87 on special this week ($99 RRP)
"There is a great purity to the aromas of nectarine and lemon peel in the delicious village Chablis from Samuel Billaud. It's lively and fresh, with a tension that carries the wine to a lingering finish. The grapes are from three parcels: two on the left bank – Pargues (near Préhy) and the back side of the Montmains slope – and on the right bank, vines at the base of Montée de Tonnerre." - 92 Points, Charles Curtis MW, Decanter
"A blend of Samuel’s three excellent terroirs, Les Pargues, Cartes-Fontenottes, and Bas de Chapelot. Pale colour. A very classic nose, not too pungently marine, with a depth of fruit, clean clear cut white fruit with a real crispness to finish. The lees work is exemplary. Drink from 2025-2028." - Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Yvon Clerget Bourgogne Rouge 2023 -
$96 on special this week ($109 RRP)
"Located at the bottom of Volnay in a 46 year old parcel named Long Bois. Thibault uses 4 to 5 year old barrels to age his bourgogne. The nose is dominated by fresh black and red fruit such as black cherries and raspberries. The wine is atherial with a nice mouthfilling and silky texture." - Notes from Yvon Clerget
"Made with destemmed fruit and aged in older barrels, racked three weeks ago. An intense fresh ruby purple. Vibrant fresh red fruit, plenty of energy here. Racy, punchy and charming yet with crunchy fruit behind, juicy, really attractive. Drink from 2027-2029." - Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine des Rouges-Queues Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2023 -
$96 on special this week ($109 RRP)
"Isabelle and Jean-Yves Vantey's have worked the vines of their estate without chemcials since 1998 and made the transition to biodynamics from 2008. The vines date from 1960 and 1973 in the 1er Cru La Fussiere and average 60 years olf in the village Maranges. Their cellar work is non-interventionist; the fermentation is spontaneous in stainless and open-top wooden fermenters. The ageing is in neutral oak and sulphur is used cautiously, if at all! Absolutely delicious and more affordable Burgundy." - Brix Fine Wines, Importer
Pierre Girardin 'Saugettes' Vin de Jura Chardonnay 2023 -
$170 on special this week ($195 RRP)
// 100% Organic hand-harvested Chardonnay, vinified as whole cluster with 12 months in 30% new oak barrels 456L and a further 8 months in stainless steel tank.
"Jura is the new Burgundy, or should I say the old one. The atmosphere, the soils, nature and the feeling Pierre Girardin got there was magic. Rotalier is a well-known village of South Revermont, surrounded by hills planted in vines, luxurious flora and small, charming wine villages, similar soil as Côte de Beaune with limestone. The start of a new adventure. Pierrre followed the same approach as in Burgundy, a single plot, a single lieu-dit, a unique wine! The Jura project was no longer a one shot but definitely the beginning of a new story for the Domaine." - Clos Cachet, Importer
Samuel Billaud Chablis 1er Cru 'Mont de Milieu' 2023 -
$190 on special this week ($215 RRP)
"This delightful yellow-green wine boasts a complex aroma with hints of nectarine, kiwi and a salty mineral edge. Billaud explains that the high proportion of active calcium in the soil delivers a rich level of extract, but the texture is lively with crisp acidity. The grapes are from three parcels totalling 0.60ha; the oldest are 85 years old. Billaud uses the same techniques here as for his grands crus: 80% tank, 20% 500L barrels; 18 months' total maturation. This is a profound wine that will last at least 20 years." - 94 Points, Charles Curtis MW, Decanter
"Their own three plots at the Chablis end of the vineyard, with old vines in two of the plots. The yield was only 45 hl/ha here even in 2023. Pale lemon colour. A very stylish complete nose, with its extra touches of white fruit and flesh. Excellent salinity behind, a real mineral crunch. Drink from 2027-2032." - 91-94 Points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Samuel Billaud Chablis 1er Cru 'Sechet' 2023 -
$195 on special this week ($220 RRP)
"A powerhouse of complexity, I wrote more descriptors on this Premier Cru than all the others. And there's not a bit of barrel influence here. It starts with hay, peak-season Vacherin Mont d'Or, fresh thyme and quinine. An arc of bracing acidity hovers over the palate, giving it tension and focus. This is built for the long-haul, if you give it the chance. Samuel's grandfather created the grafts for these 80-year-old vines, and his grandmother planted the vineyard." - 95 Points, Tim Atkin MW
"The 2023 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru has a detailed and mineral-driven bouquet that evokes images of the dark and stormy sea. This has wonderful salinity—it really benefits from no wood contact. The palate is old-school Chablis, with green apple and pear scents. It's a little strict, yet there is real depth and grip here. The 2023 is very complex and long on the finish, but it’s 100% Chablis in style. Outstanding." - 94 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous
If you wish to purchase any of these wines, please use the links above
Otherwise, if you have any questions, please contact us on (07)32521117 or email sales@thewineemporium.com.au
// Special prices valid until Thursday the 12th of February