An action-packed weekend approaches that we know you'll all love this Friday and Saturday!
To kick it all off, in what is sure to excite many of their long-time fans, the great wines of Kumeu River with winemaker Michael Brajkovich, focusing on their brand new white and red releases, will be here on Friday (11th) running from 4:30 to 6pm! We know this one will be popular, and for good reason, so make sure to drop by to hear from Michael, a long-time Master of Wine, and what kind of magic goes into each of these brilliant bottles.
Then, come Saturday, we felt it is the perfect time to show off the very best highlights from the recent Royal Queensland Wine Awards, at which our very own staff member Brent attended and judged! There'll be plenty of different whites and reds open and on pour, so come in anytime 12 to 2pm this Saturday (12th) and try each of these varietals that were praised for being the very best in their category!
2022 Village Chardonnay - Available for $25
"This is a wine where we always have a bottle in the fridge. The perfect aperitif Chardonnay, it's a wine that pairs very well with all types of seafood. Fermented 40% in old French oak barriques, and 60% in stainless steel tanks there is very little oak influence on either nose or palate. This has allowed the vibrant fruit to show through beautifully with lively lime and lemon aromas and a flinty, mineral edginess with hints of fig and white peach." - Winemaker Notes
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2022 Estate Chardonnay - Available for $49
"The excellent 2022 vintage came on the heels of three others, in a magnificent chain of four superb quality harvests. The Kumeu vineyards that contribute to this wine gave us a blend of Chardonnay that is particularly ripe, peachy and not only delicious to drink. But also has the concentration and lingering complexity that we expect from this wine. This is quality Chardonnay wine of style and pedigree that we know has the capability of aging as well as any of its predecessors." - Winemaker Notes
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2022 Rays Road Chardonnay - Available for $59
"With the 2022 vintage Rays Road produced very clean and ripe fruit from this unique site. We are now receiving significant quantities of Chardonnay from the new plantings, based on Clones 15 and 548. These allow for a much deeper and more nuanced expression of the Chardonnay variety than the existing Clone 95 plantings, but still with the zesty minerality on the palate. The result is an exciting Rays Road Chardonnay showing white flowers and lemon on the nose, with rich texture and vibrant acidity on the palate. This wine is a terrific addition to the Kumeu River range and we are now seeing the quality advance that we were expecting from this site." - Winemaker Notes
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2022 Coddington Chardonnay - Available for $89
"The 2022 vintage continues the run of excellent vintages. Harvested in perfect conditions the 2022 Coddington shows a step up from what we have seen in the past from this vineyard. The wine is beautifully ripe in the yellow peach and apricot spectrum, with a background of toasted oak and caramelised hazelnut. It is the biggest style in our range, and satisfyingly rich as such, but also nicely balanced with its acidity." - Winemaker Notes
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2022 Hunting Hill Chardonnay - Available for $110
"The incredible run of vintages since 2019 has continued with 2022. The conditions during harvest were suburb and 2022 produced a classic Hunting Hill. Very distinctive terroir driven typicity, with piercing lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish. This is an absolute classic example of how great the Chardonnay grape can be: A beautifully powerful, yet elegant and complex wine with long term aging ability." - Winemaker Notes
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2022 Maté's Chardonnay - Available for $110
"Rich, slightly buttery chardonnay with nutty oak and yeast lees flavours together with a saline influence. Intense, appealing wine that is mellow and at the same time has a vibrant undercurrent. It would probably benefit from two to three years bottle age." - 95 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
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2022 Village Pinot Noir - Available for $25
"2018 was our first vintage from Rays Road and we were excited by the potential we saw with the Pinot Noir. Now, from the excellent 2022 vintage we have consolidated that quality expectation, and this year have blended the grapes from Rays Road with some outstanding richer Kumeu fruit with delicious results. The wine displays a bright cherry red /burgundy colour with lifted red fruit aromas. On the palate the wine is cool, round and fruity and with a nice hint of chalky tannin that keeps the wine dry and refreshing." - Winemaker Notes
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2022 Rays Road Pinot Noir - Available for $49
"2018 was our first vintage from Rays Road and we were excited by the potential we saw with the Pinot Noir. Now, from the excellent 2022 vintage we have consolidated that quality expectation, and this year have blended the grapes from Rays Road with some outstanding richer Kumeu fruit with delicious results. The wine displays a bright cherry red /burgundy colour with lifted red fruit aromas. On the palate the wine is cool, round and fruity and with a nice hint of chalky tannin that keeps the wine dry and refreshing." - Winemaker Notes
Wines also on Tasting -
2022 Estate Pinot Gris
2016 Coddington Chardonnay
2016 Hunting Hill Chardonnay
(Note: Both '16s are for tasting only, direct from their cellars, N/A for purchase)
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Trophy Winners from the recent Royal Queensland Award Show
on Tasting in-store Saturday 12th August 12 to 2pm
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2022 Castelli Mount Barker Riesling / Gold Winner (96 Points) - $26
2022 Pressing Matters Coal River R0 Riesling / Awarded Best Riesling of the Show (96 Points) - $43
2022 Robert Oatley Signature Sauvignon Blanc Semillon / Awarded Best White Blend of the Show - $23
2022 Tumblong Hills Gundagai Chenin Blanc / Awarded Best White Varietal of the Show - $24
2022 Serafino Bellissimo Sangiovese / Awarded Best Italian Red of the Show - $22
2022 Ten Mins by Tractor 10X Pinot Noir / Gold Winner (96 Points) - $42
2022 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir / Awarded Best Pinot Noir of the Show - $85
2021 Turkey Flat Grenache / Awarded Best Grenache of the Show - $46
2022 Just Red 'Daily Red' Shiraz / Awarded Best Queensland Wine of the Show - $27
Wines also on Tasting (available for pre-order) -
2023 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling // Gold Winner (96 Points)
2022 Stella Bella Luminosa Chardonnay // Awarded Best Chardonnay of Show 2022
Marnong Estate Shiraz // Awarded Best Shiraz of Show
2021 Jim Barry 'The Farm' Cabernet Malbec // Awarded Best Cabernet Sauvignon Blend of Show
If you wish to purchase/pre-order 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
Price valid until Wednesday the 16th of August