Savitar is one of the great Shirazes from McLaren Vale, made with grapes grown on the Lopresti Vineyard's Chinese Block, located at the south end of McLaren Vale, about four kilometres east of the coastal town of Port Willunga. The vines struggle here, producing low yields of fruit with tiny berries which are full of black fruit flavours with dried herb, black olives and an earthy structure of dark smokiness, making this a power packed wine. 

It's named after a mythological dragon like creature, in homage to this wine's bold flavours and powerful length. It's an impressive wine for now and will undoubtedly age for the long haul - think a decade at least. 

The winemaking

Grapes for Savitar Shiraz are selected by hand from the Lopresti Vineyard in McLaren Vale, a site where they struggle and deliver in small volumes. This is regarded as outstanding raw material. They are fermented and the wine pressed before being transferred to oak barrels where it remains on light lees for 18 months before blending. 

Since planting their first vineyards in 1987, Jean and Catherine Montanet have been one of the main forces behind the revitalization of Vezelay as a wine region. Domaine Montanet-Thoden started as a “cave cooperative” but in 1999 Jean broke out of the cooperative and formed Domaine de la Cadette to create the best possible basis for making unvarnished wines that best reflect the terroir of Vezelay.

Today, the family runs three separate companies that produce wines according to the same basic principles (see also Domaine de la Cadette and La Soeur Cadette). Domaine Montanet-Thoden is owned by Catherine Montanet and Tom Thoden, but today the wines are made by his son Valentin, who continues the philosophy that was founded by his parents: organic work in the vineyards, minimal intervention in the cellar, zero fining or filtration and an absolute minimal addition of sulphur when bottling.

This is elegant and affordable Pinot Noir from northern Burgundy with a distinct mineral streak.

This sake delivers a delightful dash of citrus with its 10% yuzu juice. The yuzu’s enlivening aroma and vibrant acidity bring a pleasant citrus kick without any bitterness. This is done through a combination of straining to remove the bitter oil from the yuzu, and a low-temperature pasteurization method usually used for high-end sake. Tsukasabotan “Yuzu” makes for a delicious aperitif and pairs with dishes containing squeezed citrus fruit.

Champagne Irroy was founded in 1820 and has been owned by Champagne Taittinger since 1955.

Aromatic, rich and fruity with a deliciously crisp palate. The Extra Brut NV, is an elegant yet characterful Champagne, with a lightness of touch that makes it a perfect aperitif or party tipple. It is a blend of 30% Chardonnay (finesse and elegance), 50% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier (structure, richness, fruitiness and a smooth mouthfeel), and is aged for a minimum of two and a half years before release.

Organic Grenache and Cinsault from the IGP Pays d'Hérault. Light and fresh with gentle red fruits combining with mineral hints.

This is a rich, food friendly red wine from Sonoma County, California.

"The Crusher Petite Sirah is a deep, inky color with bold aromas of boysenberry, blackberry, and fig jam. The inviting aromas lead to a medium palate with a core of juicy fruit flavors, toasted hazelnut and baking spice notes. The wine spends 10 months in a combination of French, American and Hungarian oak, giving the final blend a soft texture with fine, well-integrated tannins."

-Winemaker's note.

Provenance:
Murgian rocky hill within the territory of Gioia del Colle, in the locality of Spinomarino, 4,5 km to the South East of the town. Karstic rocky soil, omogeneous mix of clay and limestone

Vineyard Features:
Planted in: 1990
Altitude: 365 m above sea level
Size: 8 hectares
Orientation: North-South
Density: 4000 vines/hectare
Lane: 2,20 m
Vine Gap: 1 m

Spontaneous fermentation of the must in contact with the skin for 240-300 hours at controlled temperature and just with autochthonous yeasts. Open-cycle process with frequent pumping of the must over the pomace. Natural malolactic fermentation. No addition of sulphites during the whole vinification process.  Only after the end of the malolactic, re-integration of the sulphites lost during the vinification steps to restore the initial natural value.

Ageing:
12 months in wine stainless steel tanks, 12 months in Slavonic oak 750-liter-casks with the application of music therapy to optimize the spontaneous microxigenation process and improve the fining of the wine, 6 months in bottle.

Ruby red intense colour with slight burgundy hues. Scent typical of very ripe fruits and slightly toasted wood and spices, with some balsamic notes. Full bodied, rich in minerality and freshness, balanced smooth taste of black sour cherry and plum tending to velvety with ripe fruity notes of blackberry and mulberry, and spices like clove and cacao. The feature that makes our natural authentic Primitivo of Gioia del Colle unique is the toasted almond aftertaste.

A complex wine with red fruit flavours. Big, elegant and ripe tannin structures. Will over time show more secondary and forest floor characteristics.

Grapes: 70% Garnacha, 20% Syrah 10% Cariñena

Winemaker Notes

Forest floor aromas, fruit and minerality are a welcome sign we are in the south of Priorat. Sensations which make us re-live a springtime stroll through Mediterranean woodland. Intense and fresh, balanced with some silkiness which is characteristic of Mas d’en Gil wines.

This wine works well with meat-based dishes: grilled lamb with Mediterranean herbs or grilled Iberian pork dishes, red meat such as Galician Rossa beef (Rossa Gallega). It also goes well with fatty fish such as grilled tuna or with rice and risotto dishes.

Al Muvedre is a varietal Monastrell from Alicante created by Telmo Rodríguez.

The grapes come from old vines in vineyards located in the town of Monóvar in the province of Alicante. The harvest, done by hand, is performed in late October, and goes through a process of fermentation in stainless steel and concrete. The wine is full of purple fruit, black olive tapenade and spice, a rustic, exciting expression of Monastrell.

100% Tannat aged in oak tuns and wooden tanks for 12 to 15 months. This wine is a deep, intense red. Elegant on the nose, with aromas of black fruits (blueberry and blackberry) dominating the hint of spice. A remarkable fullness on the palate, with tannic chewiness and unexpected roundness. The long finish has vanilla delicacy. A delightful wine, both powerful and elegant. It can easily be kept for 8 to 10 years. – Chateau Aydie.

Biodynamic. 

100% Cabernet Franc. 

Germain’s calling card is drawn from the domaine’s many parcels in Saumur. These varied sites grow on tuffeau/limestone soils around the communes of Varrains, Chaintres, Dampierre and Saumur. The vines range from 10 to 70 years old (with the average at around 30) and include the domaine’s ‘home’ vineyard, Le Clos, a site ploughed by the family’s Ardennais draft horse. Germain harvests by hand, employs cold soak infusion for some parcels and carries out the wild yeast fermentation and maturation mostly in tank. Aside from a minor 10 ppm SO2 at bottling, the wine sees no additions. Packed with youthful Saumur joie de vivre, this is a pure, elegantly floral red with perfumed dark cherry, anise and graphite notes and a juicy, supple, mouthwatering personality that pairs beautifully with cheese, paté, pork chops and roast chicken. In other words, the perfect bistro wine (that goes with every course)! The colour of the label this year is a kind of bluish slate.

Laurent-Perrier Brut NV is enjoyed for its creamy softness which comes from Chardonnay, the dominant grape in this elegant sparkling wine.

The Laurent-Perrier Champagne house was founded in 1812 and is the main company of the Laurent-Perrier Group, whose other flagship brands include the houses of Salon, De Castellane and Delamotte. Laurent-Perrier Group also acquired Chateau Malakoff in 2004.

Jean Foillard is one of Beaujolais’ most renowned producers and he makes this wine from a single vineyard in the famous Cote du Puy sub-region. Foillard’s wines are extremely complex and deep for an area known for light, juicy reds. 

Hand harvested without destemming, cold carbonic maceration (4 to 7 ºC), alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts for 3-4 weeks, no sulphur added then 6 to 9 months in old oak.