Legal academic, property dealer and vigneron, Rene Rostaing crafts some of the finest Cote Roties on the market today. He has owned 2 hectares in the Côte Blonde and La Landone since the 1970s but fortune has blessed him through his inheritance of four hectares of superbly sited vineyards from his father in law Albert Dervieux and another 1.4 hectares of particularly old vines from his uncle Marius Gentaz. He now has 7.4 hectares which in Cote Rotie terms is a significant holding. Rostaing is firmly in the modernist camp of Cote Rôtie producers, destemming the majority of his fruit and being one of the first producers to ferment using vinomatics (horizontal automatic vinifiers). However he dislikes the overt taste of new oak and uses a maximum of 15% in the maturation process. All the wines are bottled unfiltered.

Shiraz Cabernet Blend

Deep crimson with ruby hues. Intensely perfumed aromas of raspberry, blackberry, black plum, violets and almond blossom, with nuances of bay leaf, vanilla pod, black pepper and dried herbs. The palate leads with dark forest fruits, supported by baking spice,  sage and Dutch cocoa, balanced by fine-grained tannins and refreshing acidity for a  long, lingering finish.

Commercial description 

We named this wine after Robert Strangways Wigley, a noted South Australian eccentric and state cricketer who established Wirra Wirra back in 1894. Each vintage we take pride in producing a flagship shiraz that befits McLaren Vale’s reputation as a first class producer of this varietal and home to some of the oldest shiraz vines in the world.

Colour - Rich mahogany tones around a youthful, deep core of black plum.

Bouquet - Rolling waves of deep, glossy McLaren Vale shiraz. Fruits are scented with mulberry, dried figs, cinnamon, and clove. The swell of brooding spice, charcuterie, and rich black fruit is held in place by an undertow of fine French oak and dark chocolate.

Palate - The palate contrasts ripe, generous fruit with linearity and purposeful structure. Deep satsuma plums, French polish, and vibrant acid line are signature in style. Powdery tannins leave a lengthy finesse.

Vinification - Parcels from each vineyard were picked in small batches and fermented separately in twoton open fermenters to maintain their distinct vineyard character. In some, a small amount of whole bunches was included. Each batch were tasted daily to determine the level of hand plunging and maceration required during fermentation. At the desired level of tannin and fruit extraction, each ferment was basket pressed with winemakers making the press cut at the first sign of tannin hardness. Pressed batches were transferred to a tailored selection of French oak barriques and puncheons in which they completed malolactic fermentation. Following MLF and several times thereafter, individual wines were racked and returned. At the end of this program

Oak Maturation - Vineyard batches were matured separately, each in their own individual selection of French oak barriques and puncheons. The final blend comprised approximately one-third new oak, the balance coming from largely two and three-year-old barriques and puncheons.

Drink - Can be enjoyed upon release, but will develop up to 2036 years with careful cellaring.

The older Barossa Valley vineyards typically yield fruit of concentrated flavour and soft, supple and velvety tannins that set them apart from the younger stuff. The Ebenezer block gives this wine its dark core and its muscle, with the fruit from Williamstown providing elegance, fragrance and spice. There’s plenty of blackberry, black satsuma plum, black cherry and cassis with great intensity and length.

A lovely, deep and dark violet colour in the glass, this wine opens with mineral and smoke accented dark berries, liquorice and spicy black pepper on the deeply perfumed nose. The palate flows energetically with juicy cherry and blackcurrant flavours and more of the smoky minerality found on the nose which adds lift and depth. The finish is long with floral and tapenade pinned together with well defined ripe tannins.

Maturation - 16 months in oak barrels used for several earlier vintages

Squawking Magpie Stoned Crow Syrah is one of the jewels in Hawke's Bay's red wine crown with great consistency every vintage. It's one of our favourite full bodied New Zealand Syrahs in store and is a single vineyard wine which will reward lovers of spicy dry reds with its great cellarability as well as its deliciously plump fruit forward style right now. 

Age it for 10 years to see where the fun really starts with complex deeply flavoursome Syrah.  

The vines from this Shiraz are believed to have been planted in 1843. The original plantings still survive and are some of the oldest and rarest vines in the world. This is a rich and complex wine worthy of extended ageing. The nose is intense with notes of plum, coffee and oaky spice. The palate is rich with ripe fruit and sweet spices. Freedom Shiraz is full-bodied with a long and fruity finish.

This classic wine of the estate and of the appellation is an archetypal expression of the finesse and elegance of the wines of Côte-Rôtie amde with Syrah and a splash of Viognier. 

Dark ruby red in colour. Spices, red berries and delicate oak aromas. Round soft tannins. Aromas of raspberry, blackberry and vanilla. Balance between scarcely perceptible acidity and tannins which add ageing potential and softened by long ageing in oak.

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family’s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900’s when phylloxera hit the region.

Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his negociant line which sources grapes from various areas in the northern Rhone, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family.

'Using roughly 10% whole-clusters during fermentation, the 2021 Saint-Joseph offers a red-fruited profile paired with earthy gradations and leafy undertones. Medium-bodied and well balanced by bright acidity, the seamlessly sculpted 2021 comes with absolutely no hard edges and concludes with a clean finish. Chave bottled the 2021 slightly earlier than usual in order to help maintain its freshness.' 91pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

100% Syrah from the Schist soils of Domaine Jamet some 4km from Ampuis located on a plateau, known as 'Le Vallin'. Here we find a great variety of terroirs, exposure and vine age which Jamet uses to the max in driving complexity in his wines.

This Cote-Rotie is produced from twenty parcels, using whole bunches, maceration of about three weeks and is ageing in oak for 22 months - 15% new.

The parcels are found in 15 different locations - Fongeant, Cote Blonde, Landonne, Cote Rozier, Plomb, Chavaroche, Moutonnes, Lesardes, Gerine, Truchet, Leyat, Bonnivieres, Cote Bodin, Tartaras and Rochins.

Commercial description

This deep purple Syrah blossoms with blue fruits and violets, and is directed as if by gravitational force to a subtle undertone of exotic cooking spices. Vibrant and sharply focused, displaying smoke-accentuated nuance on the palate with a plush, velvety texture. Eighteen months in carefully selected French oak barriques with regular bâtonage rounded the tannins, adding to the framework a fine grip and delicate finishing touch. Cellaring Potential: 10 years

From the winery...

Saorsa. A term to describe a radical sense of freedom that represents our philosophy completely. Our aim is to produce honest and sincere wines that are free to sing their own song and truly express themselves and the sites they are grown. Wines of great balance and texture, using what nature provides… time and thought.

Here at Saorsa Wines we make small production wines by hand in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay. We select specific sites that not only have the greatest attributes for exceptional quality but also a unique individuality that manifests in the wine itself. Production is with the lightest of hands, in a traditional manner using everything the grapes bring with them without industrial manipulation and additives.

About the wine...
Aromatic notes of rose petals and dried herbs layered upon liquorice, smoke and earth. Fresh and lively with a seductive silky finish. Our wines are produced with oxygen exposure and develop greatly once opened. Decanting the wines will allow them to truly express themselves.

Vineyards

A blend of two idyllic hillside sites in Hawke’s Bay. One from the Subregion of Paki Paki a gentle North facing slopes with shallow limestone soils. A slightly more inland area of Hawke’s Bay with long hot days and an abundance of sunlight. The second from the steep sandstone over limestone slopes of Roy’s Hill situated high above the Gimbeltt Gravels stoney soils. This presence of light and heat combined with the natural slope of the sites and cooling winds allows our Syrah to boast both masculine and delicate floral tones.

Commercial description

Cote-Rotie "La Turque" is one of the flagship of the Domaine Guigal. A powerful wine with spicy notes, its terroirs from the Cote Brune with “blond accents” lends it a great elegance.

Soil type
Silicone limestone with schistes producing clay soil rich in iron oxyde.

Grape variety
93 % Syrah, 7% Viogner.

Average age of vines
25 years

Winemaking
Thermoregulated stainless steel tanks. Automated punching down. Alcoholic fermentation/4 week maceration.

Ageing
42 months in new oak.

Average yield
35 Hl / hectare.

Tasting notes
Eye : Deep ruby red with dark tints.
Nose : Small red fruit, blackberry, morello cherry Intensely aromatic, powerful and elegant.
Palate : Supple attack with a balanced supple structure, concentration and elegant tannins. Fully expressive of the terroir.
Overall : With all the virility of the Côte Brune, La Turque also has all the subtlety and femininity of the Côte Blonde.

Commercial description

The Côte-Rôtie « La Mouline » is one of the most emblematic of the Guigal domain’s wines. Small quantities are produced each year from a vineyard in the heart of the ‘Côte Blonde’. This is a voluptuous, silky and intensely aromatic wine.

Soil type
Terraced wines in the shape of a Roman amphitheatre. Gneis with lighly coloured silicone soil with limestone lœss.

Grape variety
89 % Syrah, 11 % Viognier.

Average age of vines
about 75 years

Winemaking
Thermoregulated stainless steel tanks. Traditional pumping over. Alcoholic fermentation/ 4 week maceration..

Ageing
42 months in new oak

Average yield
35 Hl / hectare.

Tasting notes
Eye : Ruby red with red vermillion tints.
Nose : Small red fruits, blackberry and floral violet aromas.Intensely aromatic, powerful but full of finesse.
Palate : Supple with balance between the finesse of the aromas and an explosive richness due to the concentration of the wine. Greatly expressive of the terroir.
Overall : A feminine wine with voluptuous silky texture and intense aromas.

Matt Dicey, Winemaker notes:

“Vibrant aromas of black pepper, liquorice and floral notes on the nose. With a dense and savoury tinged mid-palate with sandalwood and cedar notes drawing the wine together. Cassis flavours flow through the fine acidity driving through a long finish.”

Winery notes:

Our Ghost Town Syrah is one of the few Syrah’s you’ll find from a region so famous for Pinot Noir. Handcrafted in limited quantities from our Bendigo Vineyard in Central Otago, planted in 2001 at a higher altitude. Together with Bendigo vineyard’s unique personality and minimal winemaking intervention, this Syrah displays fine texture and suppleness. We expect this wine to evolve with careful cellaring for a further 10-15 years.