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From $42.00 /Per Bottle
The Aphelion Confluence 2023 Grenache is a key flagstone wine for us.
It's been with us from the very beginning.
We are Grenache specialists and our Confluence is a perfect example of complex, delicious wine that works as beautifully with food as it does being savoured on its' own.
Meet the Confluence
Variety: Grenache from Blewitt Springs sub region of McLaren Vale.
Summary: This complex, aromatic, food friendly, but fantastically drinkable wine evolves in your glass. Good structure and length. Carries our signature savoury finish.
Tasting Note: Vibrant red with purple hues in the glass. Raspberry, cinnamon spice, and red liquorice aromatics jump from the glass and an herbal edge gives great interest. On the palate Satsuma plum, wild strawberry and fine sandalwood dominate with fine tannins giving the wine exemplary length. The palate shows great intensity and concentration without being heavy or cloying. A wine that shows great poise and balance.
Goes With Food: Pan seared duck matches the spice and body of the wine well.
Goes With Cheese: The mushroom characters of a quality Camembert or washed rind cheese will complement the wine’s flavours and won’t dominate its delicate structure.
Goes With Music: Nick Cave – Jubilee Street
Goes With Life: Out for a fancy dinner or aperitivo on the back deck.
Serve At: 18 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink: Ready to drink now, but will continue evolving through to 2035.
Unfiltered
Unfined
Vegan
<100ppm Sulphur
ABV%: 14.2%
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Confluence 2023 Grenache.
From $42.00 /Per Bottle
Tendance Shiraz 2019 is our Aphelion take on the workhorse of McLaren Vale - Shiraz.
Tending more Rhone in style, Rob seeks out elegance, aromatics, spice and savouriness.
Variety:
Shiraz from two bordering vineyards on McMurtrie Road in the heart of McLaren Vale.
Summary:
A fruit forward wine with good structure and balance showing a finesse that McLaren Vale Shiraz rarely displays.
Tasting Note:
Inky purple with a deep core, violets, brambles and mulberries combine with wood spice on the nose and palate. Savoury notes of olive, cracked coffee, cedar and green herbs add complexity. The wine displays good length on the palate and a supple texture in its medium to full bodied frame.
Goes With Food:
The structure of the wine will work well with red meat dishes – venison and roasted vegetables would be a particularly good match.
Goes With Cheese:
An aged gouda (especially a lightly smoked version) will complement both the fruity and savoury aspects of this Shiraz.
Goes With Music:
Radiohead – Pyramid Song.
Goes With Life:
Bring this one out when main course is served – it won’t shy away from medium to full bodied dishes.
Serve At:
18 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink:
Ready to drink now, but will continue evolving through to 2035.
Vineyard:
Single cordon trellising and careful hand pruning resulted in low yields and intense flavour in the fruit.
Winemaking:
The two vineyards were picked a week apart in mid-March. The first vineyard’s fruit was destemmed and fermented to dryness before being gently pressed and sent to neutral French oak to mature. The second vineyard was fermented in two batches; one was pressed to a brand-new Dominique Laurent French oak 600L puncheon, the second was kept on skins for four months to impart savoury complexity before pressing to large format (600L) French oak. The parcels were blended prior to bottling in November 2019.
Unfiltered
Unfined
Vegan
<100ppm Sulphur
Production:
300 dozen produced under screwcap.
Accolades:
92 points Nick Stock JamesSuckling.com
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy Tendance Shiraz 2019. Psst...Like the sound of our Members pricing ($37.80) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way..
From $42.00 /Per Bottle
Emergent Mourvèdre 2021 has a special place in Rob’s heart.
Once relegated to second or third billing as a blending partner, Mourvèdre is finally emerging as a delectable wine itself. And rightly so.
Well suited to the Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale, it is a stunning medium bodied wine with a morish savoury edge of olive leaf and mushroom, sometimes leather.
Aromatic dark fruit means the Aphelion Emergent Mourvèdre is easy to sip and savour by itself while being bold enough to enhance your meal.
Variety:
Mourvèdre from from a single vineyard in White’s Valley, McLaren Vale.
Summary:
A beautiful mix of savoury characters and dark black fruits. Complexity builds in the glass.
Tasting Note:
The aromatics of this wine jump out the glass with sage, cherry spice and fresh almonds. Powdery tannins provide a canvas for the flavours that wash across the medium bodied palate, and bright acidity keeps the wine fresh and vibrant. Our 2021 Mourvèdre has a very long finish and persistent drive with an elegant fruit profile.
Goes With Food:
Very food friendly due to its savoury characters – try with duck rillettes and fresh crusty bread. (We love Little Acre Foods Duck Rillettes!)
Goes With Cheese:
An aged Pecorino would match the body of the wine and complement it’s acidity and spiciness.
Goes With Music:
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me
Goes With Life:
When the inspiration strikes to try something a little left of centre.
Serve At:
16-18 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink:
Ready to drink now, but will continue evolving through to 2030.
Vineyard:
Sourced from the Lacey family vineyard in the White’s Valley sub-district of McLaren Vale. The vineyard block is tiny, around three acres and the fruit is hand-picked.
Winemaking:
The hand-picked fruit was fermented with 25% whole bunches with the remaining destemmed. After pressing the wine was matured in seasoned French oak puncheons before blending and bottling in February 2021.
Vegan | Unfiltered | Unfined
Production: 85 dozen produced under screwcap.
Accolades:
94 points Ned Goodwin – 2022 Halliday Wine Companion
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Emergent Mourvèdre 2021.
Psst...Like the sound of our Members pricing ($37.80) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way...
From $42.00 /Per Bottle
Rare in Australia, bold and aromatic, Sagrantino stole our hearts when we discovered it in Umbria, the green heart of Italy. And here in McLaren Vale, the fruit is varietally tannic with Italianate acidity, but there are also beautiful blue and purple aromatics.
2019 is our last vintage of Sagrantino from the Lopresti vineyard. It has since been grafted over to another variety.
Variety: Sagrantino from the Lopresti single vineyard in the White’s Valley sub-region of McLaren Vale.
Summary: This wine displays a wonderful balance of intense purple and blue fruit, ripe tannin, juicy natural acidity and delivers great length on the palate.
Tasting Note: Outrageously spice driven with clove, cinnamon and five spice all coming to the fore on the nose. A savoury Italianiate palate supports a tight structure and a dry palate to provide a very food friendly wine. Tannins are prominent but in balance.
Goes With Food: A rich mushroom ragout with buttered pasta would balance the assertive tannins of this wine.
Goes With Cheese: An aged clothbound English Cheddar would complement the intensity and complexity of this wine.
Goes With Music: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Almost Cut My Hair.
Goes With Life: Matches equally well as a fine dining partner or whilst watching a Bledisloe Test.
Serve At: 18 degrees Celsius. In its youth we recommend decanting to allow the wine to breathe and its subtleties to shine.
When to Drink: Ready to drink now, but will continue evolving through to 2030.
Vineyard: One tonne of fruit was picked from Lopresti family's White’s Valley vineyard (this vineyard is low yielding, and only has three rows of Sagrantino planted to it). The vines are approaching 20 years of age.
Winemaking: The fruit was fermented to dryness and then locked down on skins for three months in a variable capacity stainless steel tank. Free run and light pressings were kept separate and then aged for 18 months in older French oak to round out the wine and soften the tannins. Blended and bottled in December 2020.
Unfiltered
Unfined
Vegan
<100ppm Sulphur
Production: 60 dozen produced under screwcap.
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy Ardent Sagrantino 2019.
Psst...Like the sound of our Members pricing ($37.80) plus perks like free shipping? Step right this way...
From $42.00 /Per Bottle
Affinity 2021 Grenache Mourvèdre is a key flagstone wine for us. We are known for our Grenache and Mourvèdre, and our Affinity is a perfect example of complex, delicious wine that is much greater than the sum of it's premium parts.
Meet the Affinity
Variety: A 60/40 blend of McLaren Vale Grenache and Mourvèdre.
Summary: A blend of single vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache and single vineyard Willunga South Mourvèdre results in a wine with oodles of complexity. Good roundness of fruit flavour on the mid palate leads to a savoury finish with powdery tannin.
Tasting Note: A beautiful and crisp savoury edge runs through this wine from aroma to palate. The whole bunch ferment characters appear in the form of spicy herbal complexity whilst the youthful Grenache component keeps the feel fresh and vibrant. Savoury, spicy, complex.
Goes With Food: Matches well to lighter red meat dishes such as venison or rare lamb, but is equally well suited to a vegetarian lasagne. Versatility is a key component of this wine.
Goes With Cheese: An aged cloth bound cheddar or mid strength parmesan matches the subtle tannin profile of The Affinity.
Goes With Music: PJ Harvey – Down By The Water.
Goes With Life: Laughter and languid lounging with loved ones.
Serve At: 18 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink: Ready to drink now, but will continue evolving through to 2031.
Vineyard: The Grenache fruit comes from the Brini family’s single vineyard in Blewitt Springs. The Mourvèdre is from the Lacey family’s single vineyard in Willunga South and was picked on 26th March 2021.
Winemaking: Both parcels of wine that make up this blend were fermented and aged separately before blending. A portion of stems was used in the Grenache ferment. Some pre-ferment cold soak was used with the Mourvèdre portion. The wine was then matured for ten months in neutral French puncheons and hogsheads prior to bottling in January 2022.
Unfiltered | Unfined | Vegan
ABV%: 14.2%
Production: 380 half-dozen produced under screwcap.
Accolades:
95 points Ned Goodwin for James Halliday Wine Companion
93 points Gary Walsh for The Wine Front
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy the Aphelion Affinity 2021 Grenache Mourvèdre.
From $42.00 /Per Bottle
This wine displays a wonderful balance of fresh acidity and textural interest from fermentation in both oak and tank. Ripe stone fruit characters flow seamlessly across the palate.
Meet the Pir
Variety: Chenin Blanc from the Blewitt Springs district of McLaren Vale.
Summary: This wine displays a wonderful balance of fresh acidity and textural interest from fermentation in both oak and tank. Ripe stone fruit characters flow seamlessly across the palate.
Tasting Note: White peach, red apple and flint show on the aroma with cinnamon adding complexity. The palate is a textural delight with a great depth of flavour – time on ferment lees has provided an attractive creamy character to the wine. Use of French oak provides a touch of astringency on the finish. A rounded and complete wine, crisp acidity cleans the finish and provides great length.
Goes With Food: A rich baked salmon dish with green herb sauce would complement the palate roundness of this wine.
Goes With Cheese: A triple cream Camembert will match the body of this wine and complement its flinty aspects.
Goes With Music: Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You)
Goes With Life: A great way to finish off a flight of white wines before moving on to the reds, but the body of this wine gives it tremendous versatility.
Vegan
Serve At: 10-12 degrees Celsius.
When to Drink: Ready to drink now but will continue evolving through to 2030.
ABV%: 13.2%
Select between a 6 bottle pack or 12 bottle case to Buy Pir Chenin Blanc 2024.
