Basket Range 2017 Adelaide Hills Red Blend

Back in the 1980's Phil Broderick started planted a humble selection of Bordeaux varieties nestled in the Adelaide Hills.  Though his sons took over in 2016 and started to create a series of fun, modern, and experimental wines, Phil still makes a small amount of his original line of elegant, classic, Bordeaux-inspired bottles and we get them for an incredible value. This blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot aged in neutral oak, and  at only 13% ABV this is no fruit-bomb. It is meant to the perfect companion to a range of heartier fare, or keep this in your cellar for 5-10 years to  see how it evolves! Michelle DeWyngaert

Ben Haines 2016 Warramunda Volta Brackets Marsanne

Ben Haines is on a mission to showcase "magic dirt" from around Yarra Valley, Australia, particularly focusing on vineyards with Rhône varieties. This Marsanne is from the Warramumba vineyard made up of clay, sandstone, and mudstone. The soil really comes through on the nose with this wine, and certainly on the palate with its mineral texture. The wine goes through a long fermentation and is then aged in 10% new oak, the rest in neutral barrels, with 14 months on the lees. It only goes through 10% malolactic conversion which allows this Marsanne to maintain a good amount of acidity to balance the rich, mouth-coating texture. This is a great pairing for roast poultry or creamy pasta dishes, and it does well with some time in a decanter to let it open up. Michelle DeWyngaert

Jauma 2018 McLaren Vale Like Raindrops Grenache

This is an excellent example of the new wave of Australian wine; restrained, low-intervention, and terroir-driven. ‘Like Raindrops’ is 100% ~40 year-old vine Grenache from three sites in Maclaren Vale and Clarendon. The soils here are clay and ironstone and Grenache is the perfect medium to carry those through on the nose and giving the palate a powdery texture. The grapes are fermented whole cluster which imparts a woodsy, forest-floor note, and bottled as is with just a touch of CO2 for preservation. Medium bodied and juicy, this will be a great pairing for leaner pork dishes or a spicy, simmered curry! Michelle DeWyngaert 

Sam Vinciullio 2018 Margaret River, Western Austra Cow Town Red

This is the Australian Shiraz I always hoped for! Sam Vinciullo has been making wine under his own label since 2015, and as of last year is farming all of the vines himself. His vines are own-rooted, dry-farmed, and farmed with the use of chemicals only as a very last resort. The vineyard is located in Margaret River, near the town of Cowaramup (hence the name "Cow Town") on mostly sandy soil with pockets of gravel and ironstone. The "Cow Town Red" is a bottling of 100% Shiraz fermented and aged, like all of his wines, with no oak used, no additives (including sulfur), and no filtering or temperature control. The nose of this wine sends you immediately to Australia with notes of eucalyptus and sandalwood, followed by ripe plum, violets and crushed black pepper. Because of the use of concrete barrels instead of oak, and without using pump-overs, the wine remains vibrant and clean, while retaining density and a silky texture. There is plenty to contemplate in this wine on its own, but it will also make an excellent pairing for charred, grilled proteins and herbaceous sauces. Michelle DeWyngaert