An eventful week in the shop gets even better, starting Friday (9th) when we welcome in NZ icons Pegasus Bay, with their winemaker Edward Donaldson coming in to pour their high-scoring whites and reds, alongside the family's other project Main Divide! This team is often considered Waipara Valley/Canterbury's greatest, emerging as a name to be reckoned with back in the 1970's, lying comfortably in New Zealand's top echelon as a whole. There is tremendous value to be found in their Merlot Cabernet blend and 'Bel Canto' Riesling, while their Pinot Noir efforts combine ripe dark-fruit complexity with impressive aging ability. This will run from 4:30 to 6:30pm!
Saturday (10th) will sweep in Barossa legends Torbreck, as we take a journey into the density and detail they represent so famously! Between 12 and 2pm, we'll explore the aromatic Steading White Blend (Roussanne Marsanne Viognier), Hillside Shiraz Roussanne (undeniable at its price), generous Grenache expressions in their 'Harris Vineyard' and Steading GSM labels, and an iconic trio to finish off with the Struie, the Descendant, and the newest RunRig from 2021.
Hope to catch you at one, or both! Take a look below for the respective lineups.
Pegasus Bay + Main Divide - Specials and Tasting (Friday 9th August - 4:30 to 6:30pm)
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The Lineup -
Main Divide Sauvignon Blanc 2022- $20 on special; $22 RRP
"Flavoursome sauvignon blanc with grapefruit, lemongrass, red capsicum and lime zest flavours. An initial hint of sweetness is nicely balanced by refreshing acidity. Together they build an appealing tension." - 93 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Main Divide Chardonnay 2022 - $22 on special; $25 RRP
"Weighty chardonnay with white peach, vanilla, a hint of green apple, sizzled butter, spicy oak and lime zest flavours. A wine that will appeal to those who like big and buttery chardonnay as well as the sleeker, more high energy style. Good value at this price." - 92 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Main Divide Pinot Noir 2021- $28 on special; $32 RRP
"Very fresh with sliced strawberries, hazelnut, cappuccino, and biscuit character yet always subtle. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a nice acid background running through the wine." - 94 Points, James Suckling
Pegasus Bay Merlot Cabernet 2019 - $42 on special; $47 RRP
"From relatively old vines (30+ years) most on their own roots. Seductively smooth-textured wine with ripe berry, plum, floral, black pepper and subtle wood smoke flavours. A delicious, complex red with good cellaring potential. Clearly from a top vintage. Good value at this price." - 95 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Pegasus Bay 'Bel Canto' Riesling 2020- $46 on special; $52 RRP
"Picked late with a good portion of botrytis and fermented to dryness. The result is a ripe, complex riesling with ginger, cinnamon, anise, mandarin zest and bush honey flavours." - 93 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2021- $70 on special; $79 RRP
"Superbly complex and enticing with dark berry, hazelnut, tar, toasted spice and rich floral aromas, it's concentrated and fleshy in the mouth delivering excellent weight and flow. Silky-smooth and multi-layered with loads of delectable flavours. At its best: now to 2034." - 95 Points, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
Pegasus Bay 'Prima Donna' Pinot Noir 2019 - $126 on special; $145 RRP
"A flagship wine only produced in exceptional years such as 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Made from a selection of the best barrels from the oldest, ungrafted vines in the vineyard. A mellow, elegant wine with floral/red rose, dark cherry, plum, dried herb and spicy oak flavours. It has a reputation for ageing well." - 96 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
Torbreck - Specials and Tasting (Saturday 10th August - 12 to 2pm)
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The Steading Blanc 2023 - $37 on special this week; $42 RRP
// 63% Roussanne, 28% Marsanne and 9% Viognier
"Fragrant aromas of white flowers, summer stone fruits, kaffir lime, honey dew melon balanced with underlying hints of bee’s wax and spices such as lemongrass, cumquat, orange peel and ginger root. The palate shows wonderful freshness across a medium bodied weight balanced by a line of acidity that enhances the freshness citrus and tropical fruit notes. A wine to enjoy in its youth, yet blossom into a fuller version of itself showing secondary characteristics of brioche and lime chutney. Enjoy with most seafood inspired dishes such as Peruvian ceviche or a Thai seafood salad." - Winemaker Notes
Hillside Vineyard Shiraz Roussanne 2022 - $28 on special this week; $32 RRP
"Blueberry and Doris plum fruits flecked with jasmine, roasting meats, cardamom, citrus blossom, bay leaf, licorice, vanilla bean and wood spice. There's a pure fruit flow and fine, toothsome tannins, a seam of fresh acidity and a touch of cured meats right on the way out. Good drinking." - 93 Points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
Harris Vineyard Grenache 2022 - $40 on special this week; $45 RRP
"Deep crimson with profound red and blueberry fruits reminiscent of Marananga Grenache from ironstone soils and deep clays. Overt fruits rise from the glass such as wild raspberry, mulberry and dried red currants balanced by savoury accents of sarsaparilla, star anise, liquorice, sandalwood and wild thyme. The palate is round, generous, yet firm with tight long tannins from low yielding old vine Grenache. Match with game meats or rich vegetarian dishes such as eggplant parmigiana and cellar for up to 10 years." - Winemaker Notes
The Steading GSM 2018 - $40 on special this week; $45 RRP
"Deep red/purple colour. The bouquet is likewise bright, fresh, clean and attractive, loaded with blackberry flavours and intense palate flavour, medium to full-bodied and with a nice touch firmness to the tannin grip. This has real depth of flavour, richness, and plenty of oomph. Fruitsweet core is typical of the vintage." - 94 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
The Struie Shiraz 2022 - $49 on special this week; $55 RRP
The 2022 The Struie is composed of 79% Barossa Valley and 21% Eden Valley fruit. It is impenetrably dense in the glass and aromatic and rich in the mouth. It's totally concentrated with impressive flavor penetration on the palate. This is an epic wine, as usual, and at $55 AUD, it represents sensational premium Barossa Shiraz drinking. It's all velvet and volume, with detail and varietal definition. It could only come from one place on the planet, as it speaks as much to its red dirt origins as it does to the variety, Shiraz." - 96 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
The Descendant Shiraz 2021 - $130 on special this week; $149 RRP
"The 2021 Descendant is often termed as the "Baby Runrig," which, as we all know, is a bit of a myopic way to view things, but it gets the point across. This is Shiraz fermented on Viognier skins (8% by weight, no liquid) and decidedly floral on the nose, with marmalade and orange peel, pink peppercorns and blood plums. The wine is dense and velvety, with loads of tannin; the Viognier, while contributing floral aromatics, textural silk and flow, also contributes tannin, and it is felt here. There is no new oak, which helps with the tannin expression and core of red and purple fruit. The signature Barossan red dirt and ironstone show through the finish. It's really good! Excellent wine." - 96 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
RunRig 2021 - $295 on special this week; $340 RRP
// 98% Shiraz & 2% Viognier
"This is the wine that people seem to lose their minds over, and just between you and me, I do understand that. It's one of a handful of super sensational Shiraz Viognier from this great country, and the ability of this cuvée to speak so eloquently of both the Barossa and its harmonious varietals is impressive to say the least. So is, while we're discussing it, the density and volume of the wine. On the nose, the 2021 RunRig is savory and meaty, with charry oak at the fore, backed by black cherry, graphite, dried rose petals, red and purple fruit, flowers and black tea. There is both detail and density. On the palate, the wine is both silky and huge. It's momentous, long and complex. It's like the volume has been turned up in every possible way, and what I know of sound mixing is on show here; it's a loud mix, but all the elements are perfectly in balance. And ultimately, that's what's up. Like Nick Cave, it's got it all, and it does it with conviction and intellect. It's a great wine, from a great season. Bigger than perhaps ever before." - 98+ Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
If you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above ? Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions
// Prices valid until Thursday the 15th of August