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| Whole bunches and oak barrel ferments, the costly extravagance of three years tirage on sedimentery yeast lees, each bottle individually riddled by hand, disgorged and sent to cellar for the ultimate indulgence of extra age before release, Pamela is the zenith of the sparkling winemaker's art. Her luxurious effervescence exudes brioche, tarte tatin and French boulangere, her creamy textural mousse unravelling ribbons of rich yeasty autolysis, crème caramel and baked fruits. Wicks» |
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| Longview are one of the most highly awarded wineries in Adelaide Hills, having claimed trophies and medals at conspicuous national tasteoffs. The predominantly northeast facing slopes and valleys, combined with the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills and superior winemaking practices, have produced outstanding vintages. Longview» |
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| The marvelous S1 block is a sheltered, relatively warm site within the splendid vistas of Seaview Vineyard, on a north facing plateau at 160m above sea level, refreshed by maritime winds that blow in from the Cludy Bay coast. Fruit is crushed and destemmed, chilled and gently pressed, the clearest juices are racked off for a long, cool ferment to capture the full opulence of S1 vineyard grapes on the vine. Yealands Estate» |
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| The Lovedale district of Hunter Valley is synonymous with world class Semillon. Resolved to make a transition from mining to wining, the De Iuliis family acquired a grazing property along Lovedale Road and established vines in the early 1990s. De Iuliis» |
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| From parcels of Pinot Noir, planted to the foot of tailings, left behind by waves of prospectors who pursued their fortune amongst the open pits and mines on Adelaide Hills during the gold rush of the 1850s. Crushed and destemmed straight into the press with minimal time on skins to extract the perfect pink, its blushing lipstick hues presage a cornucopia of lifted strawberry and cherry blossom characters, ruby grapefruit and luscious jube over a length of tasty, toothsome tannins, the perfect Rosé for lazy afternoons or late night soirées. Bird In Hand» |
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| After several decades of crafting Australia's most memorable vintages, Mike Press is more sanguine than ever that great wine can only come from the finest vineyards. His dedicated hands on approach means that he is personally involved in every stage of the winemaking, from pruning the vines and inspecting grapes, right to plunging the ferments and bottling his finished wine. Mike Press» |
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| Campbell's Topaque is the most wickedly intense, lusciously rich elixir, laden with candied peel flavours, honeycombed fruit and amber complexities. Painstakingly crafted to the old world Solera system, a bespoke tradition of fractional blending and elevage, achieving the most indulgent concentration of flavour through a laborious racking of barrels as the angels take their share. Campbells» |
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| Tio Pepe is the world's leading Fino, a very pale and dry style of wine made in the southwest of Spain. Produced since 1844 by the Gonzalez family of Jerez, Tio Pepe has a distinctive aroma and a unique taste. Tio Pepe» |
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| Serafino Maglieri came to McLaren Vale in 1968 and devoted his life to wine. From picking to pruning to cellarhand, he worked his way up to plant his own vines and build his first winery. Serafino» |
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| Pinot Meunier like no other, certainly the most distinguished bottling of its kind anywhere in the new world. Mostly old vine Concongella Pinot Meuniere, from grapes picked off parcels established 1970, with the inclusion of a priceless component of ancient vines 1868 Pinot Noir. Bests» |
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| Elderton Cabernet was winner of the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 1993, the following years it claimed back to back Gold and Trophy at the Barossa Wine Show. The 1994 vintage gave Elderton its first international Gold medal in London, an unbroken tradition of remarkable vintages have embossed the Elderton Estate name as a national champion, being chosen by Qantas for service in first class. Elderton» |
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| John Glaetzer is the winemaker behind Australia's most legendary sequence of Jimmy Watson Trophy winning vintages. Langhorne Creek is a place of spectacular editions Cabernet Sauvignon, powerfully structured, beautifully aromatic wines of edifying regional eloquence, gorgeous dark fruit flavours and lusciously gummy tannins. Gipsie Jack» |
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Keith Brien
About Keith Brien - the Winery
Keith Brien
A former commercial pilot, Keith Brien gave up his career in the clouds to start a new life from the ground up
Keith trained with prestigious winemakers in the Burgundy commune of Pommard, founding the Cleveland wineworks on the Macedon Ranges in 1989. He continues to observe, teach and participate in viticultural and winemaking experiences throughout the world. Brien quickly learned that a combination of the most up to date technology and traditional practices produce the finest wines. He also learned that as vines grow older, they begin to struggle and produce lesser yields of more expressive grapes. The fruit of Old Vines is highly prized because of its intensity and depth of character, a quality for which there is no substitute in the art of winemaking. The fruit for the Old Vines Vincenzo range comes from plantings established in the early 1960s. The gnarled, fully mature vines show a natural suitability to the rugged soils and warm climate.
When Brien began working with the late Vincenzo Conte’s eldest son in 2003, the vineyard required extensive re-working to achieve maximum quality fruit. Since then, Brien and Vince have worked to establish new trellis and pruning techniques to improve the viticultural management. Through continued care and dedication, the reinvigorated vines will lay new quality standards. It brings Brien great pleasure to walk amongst these old vines which display their struggle for survival through gnarled and twisted trunks rising from the meagre soil that feeds them.
The Macedon ranges create a unique environment in Australian terms with climatic conditions similar to those of Rheims in the Champagne area of France. Three hectares of vineyard were planted on the Cleveland property in 1984 to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot in the lower northern paddock. The first vintage was in 1988 and the remaining samples of Chardonnay still drink extraordinarily well to this date.
The Croucher vineyard at Whitlands lies on the back road to Mt. Buller at the high end of the King Valley at an altitude of 780m above sea level presenting as the highest Riesling vineyard in Australia. The rich red volcanic loams are set in a mountainous, ultra cool climate and no irrigation ensures the vines are not too vigorous. The site was previously source for Brown Bros Patricia Reserve, its longer ripening period yelds some of the highest quality Riesling to be found anywhere.
Keith Brien has been a winemaker for decades. He left Cleveland Estate in 2003 after twenty five years of meritorious service and established his own label under the banner of Silver Wings. He now serves as chief winemaker for Marquee Artisan, acting as consultant for the brand since its inception. Brien continues to pursue his passion for making long lived single estate wines. He is consumed by his love for the old vines styles of the Valley Rhone, Shiraz, Mourverdre and Grenache, assembling the noble trio into exquisite wines of rich, spicy rich flavours supported by deep and delicious, tannic complexities. He has also established a new genre of luxury sparkling with a highly praiseworthy Late Disgorged Macedon, liquering the Cuvee with X.O. Cognac, aged eighteen years on lees, it exists in a class of its own.
Brien takes great interest in offering a taste of rare and interesting wines from his own personal and private collections at the estate Cellar Door, quartered in a restored art deco warehouse at Munster Terrace in North Melbourne. Keen enthusiasts should avail themselves of the opportunity savour a unique experience across a hand chosen range of truly exciting wines.
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