While Saturdays are now strictly Champagne-only affairs for the remainder of the year, we couldn't help but make room for some wine whimsy through the midweeks and Fridays ahead!
After hearing of his surprise visit to Brisbane this week, it was a no-brainer for us to lock in head winemaker Huw Kinch of Pyramid Valley for tomorrow evening (Wednesday 11th), set to man the tasting table between 4:30 and 6:30pm! Calling New Zealand's North Canterbury region their home, this team have profoundly impressed us in recent vintages with their thoughtful terroir-focused expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, farmed using strictly organic/biodynamic practices and low intervention methods like indigenous yeasts, neutral old oak, and hand-destemming. The North Canterbury and Manatu entries give a great glimpse into this ethereal, Burgundian-akin style, while their rare single vineyards (known as the Botanical Collection, crafted from individual blocks within their sites and named after the dominant wild botanical found in the pasture) are all on show too, with limited stocks on their way over from New Zealand (links to pre-order at the special prices are below). Given Huw is Aussie, we hope you can come give him a warm welcome back to home shores!
And for Friday (13th), we're thrilled to have the chance of showing off the DAOSA Rosé (our Sparkling Monday several weeks back, and one of the finest examples of Australian sparkling's potential our team have ever tried), alongside the Blanc de Blancs 2021, plus winemaker Xavier Bizot's other Hills-based project Terre à Terre with French-inspired takes on Rosé (filled with Sangiovese and Viognier), Sauvignon Blanc (feeling more straight out of Pouilly-Fumé than it does Adelaide Hills), Cabernet Franc (right-bank Bordeaux vibes, with chalky tannin, dark chocolate and herbaceous length), and Cabernet Shiraz blend (sweet blackcurrants, baking spice and crushed rock dominating). This will run from 4:30 to 6:30pm, and make for a more-than-ideal prelude before the Champagne fun kicks off on Saturday.
All wines on special for the coming week!
North Canterbury Chardonnay 2024
$49 on special ($55 RRP)
"The North Canterbury region is genuinely cool, with bristling sunshine and influence from both the ocean and the mountains. The white wines are characterised by delicate citrus and floral aromas, cool citrus and tree fruit flavours and bright, saline acidity. Hand-harvested Chardonnay from Waipara fermented in French oak with wild yeasts. Cellared for 12-18 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered." - Winemaker Notes
"Power meets elegance in the 2024 Chardonnay North Canterbury, which hits all the right notes. Unadulterated winemaking doesn't take away from its purity. The palate is focused and firm while maintaining finesse. A line of ripe, tangy acidity cuts through with bright resonance and direction. An intense concentration of intriguing aromas includes chamomile, lemon and herbs. At this stage, the 2024 is young and raw but serious, showing excellent potential for the future. (Drink between 2027-2034)" - 94 Points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Manatu Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022
$56 on special ($64 RRP)
"Named after the ribbonwood (mānatu) tree, our Pyramid Valley Mānatu vineyard sits in a sheltered valley with elevated terraces gently sloping to the north. Soils of loess over deep gravel and pedogenic lime deposits produce grapes with floral and wild thyme aromas, black cherry and plum notes and fine, velvety tannins. An assemblage of individual Pinot Noir parcels hand-harvested and fermented with wild yeasts then cellared in French oak for 12-18 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Bright ruby hue. Dark cherries, blackberries, cloves, alluring aromas that grow with more time in the glass. Soft silky texture that coates the mouth with very fine grained tannins. Dark savoury fruits and chalky acidity drives through the palate." - Winemaker Notes
"Gentle, gamey-edged aromas of dark plum, cherry and wild strawberry fruits. Hints of thyme, spice, wildflowers, mocha, crushed stone, amaro herbs and dried citrus rind. There's a distinct sense of stony composure on the palate, travelling savoury, sleek and true with fine-grained tannin and some lovely sapid acid drive. Finishes spicy, plummy and chalky." - 95 Points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2024
$57 on special ($65 RRP)
"Dense dark garnet hue. Dark savoury aromas, slightly smokey with wild strawberries, herbs, forest floor, game meat. Dense chalky texture with mocha, game meat, dark savoury fruit flavours. Mineral, fine compact powdery tannins give the wine depth and a juicy acid core offers tension and length. A wine that will age gracefully and suit venison, duck or a roasted vegetable dish." - Winemaker Notes
"The 2024 Pinot Noir North Canterbury has a surprisingly intense color for a variety that's normally pale. Bright, primary fruit reminiscent of blackcurrant wine gums, plums and strawberries meets vanilla oak and festive spices derived from 12-18 months in French oak. Seamless, well-handled tannins provide texture and sinew. The finish is fragrant with medium length. Unadulterated and pure with minimal handling, this is a young, vibrant offering that you could approach now, but will develop extra layers of aromatic interest with bottle age. (Drink between 2026-2033)" - Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
'Earth Smoke' Pinot Noir 2024
$175 pre-arrival special ($199 RRP)
"Earth Smoke is situated on an expansive, east and south-east facing slope on strong, beautifully structured soils of 30% clay and 15% active lime." - Winemaker Notes
'Angel Flower' Pinot Noir 2024
$175 pre-arrival special ($199 RRP)
"Angel Flower is situated on a beautiful, very steep, north-facing block on coarse, shallow soils of 20% clay and 3-7% active lime that enhance the aromatics. A darker expression of Angel Flower in 2024." - Winemaker Notes
'Snake's Tongue' Pinot Noir 2024
$175 pre-arrival special ($199 RRP)
"Snake’s Tongue is from the deeper soils sitting just above the bed of the Low Burn, once the heart of the goldminer’s market gardening operations. Soils are predominantly loess over deep silts that have developed pedogenic lime deposits, consistently producing a richly textured Pinot Noir." - Winemaker Notes
'Lion's Tooth' Chardonnay 2024
$180 pre-arrival special ($205 RRP)
"Lion’s Tooth is situated on the mid-slope of the hill, where deep, well-structured clay-limestone soils consistently produce a Chardonnay of remarkable chalky breadth, tension, precision, and drive." - Winemaker Notes
'Field of Fire' Chardonnay 2024
$180 pre-arrival special ($205 RRP)
"Field of Fire is situated on the lower part of the slope, where glauconitic clays overlay well-drained limestone. This unique site consistently produces a Chardonnay with remarkable tension, precision, and drive." - Winemaker Notes
DAOSA Rosé 2022
$56 on special this week ($65 RRP)
// 66% Pinot Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir and 4% Chardonnay
Aged on full lees for 8 months in old oak, before secondary fermentation/aged in bottle on lees for three years before disgorgement in October 2025
6g/L dosage
"This is a delight. Frisky sparkling of great energy, immense character, light savouriness and distinct, expressive mineral charm. A striking saline, briny vein through tart cranberry, rosehip tea, crisp red cherry and dashes of sweet spice, green almond and white pepper. So fragrant; tightly wound fizz with a light, white balsamic zing in tow. Quite focused in its way. So much character here, fine detail in fruit, savouriness, minerality and pristine bubbles. Wonderful stuff." - 96 Points, Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
"Light salmon pink colour. Red cherry, mixed flowers and quince aromatics. Powerful in the mouth, red cherry, cured meat and red spices all fill across the palate. The intensity and complexity is serious here with acidity working well to keep it lifted, with a fine mousse and a brush of tannin completing the framework. Great length: it lingers long with a real vinous character that speaks of pinot noir. Will be a phenomenal match to more powerful dishes." - 96 Points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review
DAOSA Blanc de Blancs 2021
$79 on special this week ($89 RRP)
// 100% Chardonnay (Bizot Vineyard in the Piccadilly Valley)
Aged on lees for 3.5 years before disgorgement mid-2025
4g/L dosage
"The 2021 vintage is proving to be a superb one in the Adelaide Hills for table wines, and it looks as though it is just as thrilling for sparklings. A deep yellow/pineapple hue, the nose reveals aromas of peaches, citrus, nectarines, a flick of honeysuckle, florals and jasmine. This is clean, fresh and lingering with good balance and a fine line of acidity. A really good Australian sparkling wine. Enjoy this over the next six to ten years." - 95 Points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
"The 2021 Blanc de Blancs is toasty and reductive, with notes of crushed shells and lemon curd, pith and zest. The wine in the mouth is laden with lemon drop and barley, brine and apple skin. This is a powerful expression of Chardonnay; the chalky phenolic shape through the finish is so attractive. This is a lovely wine." - 94 Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Terre à Terre 'Down To Earth' Piccadilly Rosé 2024
$32 on special this week ($36 RRP)
"The 2024 Piccadilly Rosé is made mostly from Sangiovese and Viognier from Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills. These grapes were blended with Cabernet Franc, Trousseau, Merlot, Mondeuse, Shiraz and Saperavi from our Piccadilly Valley vineyards and a vineyard on the outskirts of the Piccadilly Valley. It is fermented and aged in a stainless-steel tank with some time on lees. It is a more complex style of Rosé than most Australian examples and can be aged for up to five years. The 2024 has the hallmark of Trousseau Noir – fresh strawberries, pomegranate and some flinty notes. It also has the cherry blossoms and floral aromatics of Cabernet Franc." - Winemaker Notes
Terre à Terre Crayeres Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2025
$32 on special this week ($36 RRP)
"A warm and dry vintage, giving optimal ripeness and bright tropical-fruit flavours of papaya, mango skin and lemon curd. Oak fermentation complements the luscious fruit, focusing the tight acidity to draw out a long finish of lemongrass and ginger. Some strands of silken phenolic texture widen across the palate to create a wine both vibrant and immensely satisfying." - 95 Points, Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion
"The 2025 Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc comes from a hot, dry year in South Australia, and the wine has fruit personality and intensity thanks to that. However, beyond that, the wine is restrained and chalky, with loads of spices and weight of flavour. This is excellent." - 93 Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2021
$34 on special this week ($38 RRP)
// Cabernet Franc (91%) and Shiraz (9%)
"This is 91% cabernet franc and 9% shiraz matured in old French oak barriques and foudres for 14 months. Red fig, black cherry and rhubarb. Pink peppercorn, damson plum and cinnamon. Oak inserts itself with a cocoa nib bitterness and espresso crema. This is a bit of an enigmatic wine with a filigree of fine but weighty tannins and a mix of sour red fruits and exotic spice. A wine with detail and complexity and of superb value." - 95 Points, Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion
"Red fruit, rosewater, a little mint chocolate, light nutty oak. It’s medium-bodied, red fruit and some darker berries, hazelnut, a fresh feel to it, with well-settled acidity, fine chalky tannin grip, and a finish of excellent length. All just so. Beautifully made, and lovely to drink. Drink 2023 - 2031+" - 94 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Terre à Terre Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2023
$48 on special this week ($55 RRP)
// 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Shiraz
"This is the team’s sixth release from the Crayères Vineyard of a Cabernet Shiraz, the great Aussie red blend, although the 13th release of a Cabernet dominant blend. The wine spent 14 months maturing in French oak barrels, 18% of which were new. Dark mauve in colour, this is a seamless and appealing style, a really impressive wine. The nose gives us red fruits, notably cherries and cranberries, with aniseed, bay leaves, florals and kirsch notes. Oak integration is exemplary and there is bright acid, fine balance and serious length here while notes of sour cherries emerge at the finish. Enjoy this over the next 10 to 15 years." - 95 Points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
"Medium to deep ruby in colour opening up with quite beautiful aromatics of graphite red earth backed by sweet blackcurrant fruit laced with spice. Medium weight with a firm tannin backbone that holds everything in check – blackberry, gravel and tarry flavours delivered in a package that shows genuine finesse balance before building to a perfumed finish. Drink 2028–2035." - 94 Points, Angus Hughson, Andrew Caillard MW & Lisa Cardelli, The Vintage Journal
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 listed valid until Tuesday 17th of November