Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Straw-amber color. Full-bodied, oily and spicy with aromas of baked apples, oranges, ginger, cloves and fig jam. Savory and spicy finish. Orange peel. Phenolic. 64% semillon and 36% sauvignon blanc, fermented on skins. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale amber in color, produced from a month-long fermentation on the skins, the 2014 Amber saw just 30 parts per million (milligrams per liter) of SO2 added prior to bottling. It is a Semillon and Sauvignon blend, with scents of dried apricots, spiced apple slices, cinnamon and toffee. On the nicely dry palate, it is medium-bodied with a pleasantly oily texture, with some phenolic grip and yeasty, nutty notes. There are no obvious faults in this wine and it represents a somewhat rare, great, clean example of this style! Vanya doesn't intend to make this every year and in 2014, there were 1,000 cases produced. Also worth noting, Cullen pairs this quail and pork at the restaurant - matches that I can certainly see working beautifully.
Range: 90-91 -
Wine & Spirits
This austere blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc captures the freshness of a coastal breeze, its crunchy grape flavors yielding scents of fresh apple and quince. There’s a bitter floral aspect to balance the wine’s creaminess, and a zip of acidity to brighten the finish. Serve it with crayfish and mushrooms in cream.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
Home to some of Australia’s most elegant and long-lived red and white wines, Margaret River is situated in the farthest reaches of Western Australia. Relatively warm and dry, the region is cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Margaret River takes some inspiration from Bordeaux, producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux Blends with firm structure, mouthwatering acidity, balanced alcohol and notes of herbs and spice. For white wines, refreshing blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as complex, age-worthy Chardonnays are regional specialties.