Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia 2016 TOSCANA BIANCO IGT
Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia is one of Italy’s most innovative and progressive white wines, providing an altogether different experience of the Ornellaia estate and its Mediterranean influences.
The year 2016 represents a classic Bolgheri wine making year where summer warmth and dryness were eased by the sea breeze and the night time temperature change, allowing the wines to develop both richness and ripeness with a full and complex aromatic expression. Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia is pale yellow and has a classic nose where the scents of a typical mature Sauvignon, grapefruit, passion fruit and white peach, all come through. The palate is rich and full-bodied with notes of ripe yellow fruits and honey, interwoven with a well-balanced acidity. The long finish lingers with flavours of white flowers and fresh almonds. – WINEMAKER AXEL HEINZ
Jeb Dunnuck - “A slightly tweaked blend of 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Vermentino, 6% Viognier, 3% Verdicchio, the 2016 Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia is another powerful white from this estate that offers beautiful Meyer lemon, green herbs, honeyed minerality, and just a hint of tropical fruit. It’s medium to full-bodied, has building richness, and good acidity, all of which point to wine that’s going to shine on the dinner table.”
Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2016 BOLGHERI DOC ROSSO
Coming primarily from the Ornellaia’s younger vineyard sites and made with the same passion and attention to detail as the estate’s flagship wine, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia combines generosity and depth of flavor with an engaging and vibrant personality. Made to be more approachable, yet delivering the quality experience of Ornellaia, Merlot has a dominant role in this wine in contrast to the Cabernet Sauvignon in Ornellaia.
The Ornellaia vineyard totals 280 acres that are divided into more than 70 vineyard plots according to soil type, exposition and varietal. There are three major soil types: marine (sedimentary deposit from the sea), alluvial (marly, sandy clays with mineral veins), and volcanic (schist, gravel and porous soils). All the vineyards are about 3 miles from the Mediterranean shore. The mild maritime climate features sea breezes that keep the sky clear, low rainfall, and long summers that favor the development of aromatic compounds.
Vineyards are planted at high density, from 5,000-8,700 hl/ha, and feature several training systems – spur-pruned cordon, single Guyot, and head-pruned vines.
2016 was characterized by an abnormally warm winter with heavy rainfall. May was dry and sunny, perfect for a good fruit-set. The summer was average with very little rain and cool temperatures at night, and ripening went on steadily. Harvest conditions were virtually prefect: sunny, warm, and with enough water in the soil to prevent the vines from shutting down.
“The 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is made with fruit from the same vineyard plots that go into the Bolgheri Superiore, only this is a second selection if you will. Generally speaking, fruit from the younger vines goes here. This wine gives us a very pretty glimpse of what we can expect of the high-end releases from this classic vintage. The fruit is rock solid, delineated, tonic and firm. The pleasure factor awarded here is very high thanks to the wine’s inner softness, silky tannins and soothing extract. The bouquet is seamless and pristine.” 94 pts – Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Cabernet Sauvignon GRAVE DEL FRIULI DOC
Cabernet Sauvignon was introduced to Italy in the 1820s and thrives on the rocky soil and hillsides of Grave del Friuli. A full-bodied red that boasts complex aromatics of raspberries, blackberries, and spice, DueTorri Cabernet displays earthy and herbaceous undertones that linger on the palate. Vinified in stainless steel, this wine is left to rest for a few months before bottling, and will show best within a few years of the vintage.
Pinot Grigio DELLE VENEZIE
Pinot Grigio thrives in the area known as the “Venezie” — a vast territory in northwestern Italy encompassing the regions of Veneto, Fruili-Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige. DueTorri Pinot Grigio is an exquisite dry white, fragrant on the nose bursting with citrus fruit aromas. It is fresh on the palate with an excellent balance of acidity and minerality. Vinified entirely in stainless steel, enjoy this wine in its youth for maximum fruit expression.
Merlot GRAVE DEL FRIULI DOC
The Merlot grape of France was introduced to Italy in 1880, but has had great success in the rocky hillside vineyards of Grave del Friuli. Supple aromas of raspberries are supported by herbaceous notes on the palate. DueTorri Merlot is medium in body, with a pleasant, dry finish. Following fermentation, this wine is left to refine in stainless steel tanks for a few months prior to bottling. Enjoy within a few years of the vintage.
Pinot Noir DELLE VENEZIE
The unique climate of the area known as the “Venezie” — a vast territory in northwestern Italy encompassing the regions of Veneto, Fruili-Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige — is ideal for the cultivation of Pinot Noir. DueTorri Pinot Noir features a delicate bouquet of red cherries. A fresh and light-bodied red, it is balanced with mild tannins that round out the finish. To retain maximum fruit expression, this wine is vinified entirely in stainless steel.
SIGNATURE SERIES MARGARET RIVER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017
The Robert Oatley Signature Series draws on a remarkable portfolio of vineyards nurtured by the winemaking talent of Larry Cherubino showcasing Australia’s most successful wine styles and regions. Bob Oatley’s mantra was that all wines should be a “darned good drink”, and the high quality Signature Series delivers immediate appeal, with satisfying flavours over an elegant frame. Each wine embodies the grape variety and region in which it was grown.
REGION NOTES: MARGARET RIVER WESTERN AUSTRALIA Climatically, Australia’s most reliable wine region, not to mention one of its best known, Margaret River is the ideal home for the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, producing distinctive wines of powerful structure and finesse.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Grapes from the northern regions of Margaret River: Wilyabrup, Carbunup and Cowaramup, were harvested at ideal flavour and tannin ripeness, fermented then matured for twelve to fifteen months in French oak from a variety of coopers. An excellent growing season has delivered well-balanced wines that will develop grace-fully in bottle. Enjoy now to 2028.
TASTING NOTE
A full-flavoured yet finely structured Cabernet of great appeal: black berries, dried leaves and fine gravelly tannin, reflect an outstanding year.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Alc/vol: 13.5% | pH: 3.69 | RS: 0.0 g/L
TA: 5.62 g/L | CLOSURE: Stelvin Lux+
MAJOR ACCOLADES FOR THIS VINTAGE
GOLD MEDALS Brisbane, Adelaide & Cowra 2018 Wine Shows
95pts James Halliday Top 100 Wines 2018
MAJOR ACCOLADES FOR RECENT VINTAGES
95pts Halliday Wine Companion (v2016)
SIGNATURE SERIES MARGARET RIVER CHARDONNAY 2017
The Robert Oatley Signature Series draws on a remarkable portfolio of vineyards nurtured by the winemaking talent of Larry Cherubino showcasing Australia’s most successful wine styles and regions. Bob Oatley’s mantra was that all wines should be a “darned good drink”, and the high quality Signature Series delivers immediate appeal, with satisfying flavours over an elegant frame. Each wine embodies the grape varietal and region in which it was grown.
REGION NOTES: MARGARET RIVER WESTERN AUSTRALIA Climatically, Australia’s most reliable wine region, not to mention one of its best known, Margaret River has proven to be the ideal home for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, producing distinctive wines of powerful structure and finesse.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Premium parcels of grapes were specially selected from a range of sites across the Margaret River region, from Karridale in the south through to Wilyabrup in the north, to create a well balanced, medium weight style in the citrus mould. Matured for a short time in a variety of French oak barriques, twenty per cent new. We deliberately avoided the traditional secondary malolactic fermentation in order to retain the wine’s long fine acidity. Enjoy now to 2023.
TASTING NOTE
A bright, mid-weight, white peach-accented, gently oaked wine grown on selected sites across Australia’s highest performing Chardonnay region.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Alc/vol: 12.5% | pH: 3.51 g/L | RS: 0.5 g/L
TA: 5.65 g/L | CLOSURE: Stelvin Lux+
MAJOR ACCOLADES FOR RECENT VINTAGES
90pts James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge 2017 (v2016)
Matthew Jukes Best Value Summer Whites 2018 Daily Mail UK (v2016)
90pts James Halliday Wine Companion 2019 (v2016)
GOLD International Wine Challenge 2017 (v2015)
95pts & VALUE Award James Halliday Wine Companion (v2015)
SIGNATURE SERIES McLAREN VALE SHIRAZ 2017
The Robert Oatley Signature Series draws on a remarkable portfolio of vineyards nurtured by the winemaking talent of Larry Cherubino showcasing Australia’s most successful wine styles and regions. Bob Oatley’s mantra was that all wines should be a “darned good drink”, and the high quality Signature Series delivers immediate appeal, with satisfying flavours over an elegant frame. Each wine embodies the grape varietal and region in which it was grown.
We’ve been a fan of McLaren Vale Shiraz for many years now, yet have been keen to progress the traditional style, to wines with brighter fruit, less obvious alcohol and minimal reliance on oak. We’ve made a very accessible, well-loved style that has proven a hit with fans of the variety.
WINEMAKING NOTES
This is a blend of selected parcels of Shiraz from the Blewitt Springs, Willunga, and McLaren Flats districts of the Vale. The 2017 vintage conditions were outstanding, with balanced vines, good crop levels of fantastic colour and flavour, Shiraz being a particular regional highlight displaying good acidity, bright fruit flavours and expressive varietal characters. Fermented on skins in a combination of open and closed fermenters and matured in French oak for 12-14 months. We are pleased with how the oak has paired with the ripe, juicy fruit flavours. Enjoy now to 2026 or more.
TASTING NOTE
Soft, fleshy-textured Shiraz displaying blueberries and spice, supple tannins and stylish French oak influence.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Alc/vol: 14.0% | pH: 3.64 | RS: 1.67 g/L
TA: 5.59 g/L | CLOSURE: Stelvin Lux+
MAJOR ACCOLADES FOR RECENT VINTAGES
89pts RECOMMENDED Huon Hooke The Real Review (v2016)
GOLD Sydney International Wine Competition Top 100 2017 (v2015)
SIGNATURE SERIES MCLAREN VALE GRENACHE SHIRAZ MOURVÈDRE 2017
The Robert Oatley Signature Series draws on a remarkable portfolio of vineyards nurtured by the winemaking talent of Larry Cherubino showcasing Australia’s most successful wine styles and regions. Bob Oatley’s mantra was that all wines should be a “darned good drink”, and the high quality Signature Series delivers immediate appeal, with satisfying flavours over an elegant frame. Each wine embodies the grape varietal and region in which it was grown.
REGION NOTES: MCLAREN VALE SOUTH AUSTRALIA
All three of these grape varieties share a long history in McLaren Vale – Australia’s most successful region with this triple blend emulating the wines of Cotes du Rhone. The warm, maritime-influenced climate and red-brown loamy soils produce rich dark fruit characters and supple tannins in their exemplary red wines.
WINEMAKING NOTES
A blend of 40% Grenache, 33% Shiraz and 27% Mourvedre (Mataro) from southern McLaren Vale, where the hills run down to the ocean. Fermented on skins in a combination of open and closed fermenters and matured in French oak for 6 months. Enjoy now to 2025.
TASTING NOTE
Macerated red fruits and musk from Grenache, structure and longevity via Shiraz, Mouvèdre’s gamey notes and minerality.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Alc/vol: 14.0% | pH: 3.62 | RS: 0.94 g/L
TA: 5.67 g/L | CLOSURE: Stelvin Lux+
MAJOR ACCOLADES FOR RECENT VINTAGES
TROPHY Hobart 2018 (Best blended red) (v2016)
GOLD MEDALS Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide, Rutherglen & Cowra Wine Shows; Blue Gold Sydney International Top 100; 92pts & VALUE Award
James Halliday Wine Companion (v2016)
TROPHY Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2016 (v2015)
GOLD MEDALS Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth Wine Shows (v2015)
Pinot Grigio
A hike through the Italian Alps. Dried mountain hay, honeysuckle and Pippin apples lift the senses. A trail of tangerine, summer melon and fresh cut herbs leads you along the path of minerality with a supple and satisfying mouthfeel. This delicious wine completes your journey.
Current & Past Scores 90 Points *BEST BUY*, Wine Enthusiast (v2015) This wine is two-thirds Evergreen and one-third RAF vineyards, both in the Ancient Lakes appellation and all fermented and aged in stainless steel. It’s spot on for the variety, with notes of whole Granny Smith apple and green melon. The palate redolent with sleek fresh apple and pear flavors that power through the finish. It’s a standout at this price.” Vineyard The vineyards we work with are farmed using the most up to date sustainable practices. Evergreen Vineyard (100%): Planted in 1998 by Jerry Milbrandt, the vineyard lies along a stretch of steep cliffs above the Columbia River, in the Ancient Lakes. A cooler site due to river influence, the soils are composed of fragmented basalt, gravel silt, and caliche deposited during ice age floods. As with all of Milbrandt’s vineyards, Evergreen is farmed using sustainable practices. This site produces fruit with sublime mineral character and great acidity, a balance that winemakers adore.
Sangiovese Rose
Fresh, supple, complex, aromatic compelling watermelon, herbal, white pepper, lilac. In the mouth expansive citrus blossoms, cut straw and mineral laden rosé…all day…all night. Rosé...always.
Current & Past Scores 90 Points, Jeb Dunnuck “The medium gold/salmon colored 2017 ViNO Sangiovese Rosé offers a vibrant, strawberry and cherry-scented bouquet as well as a rounded, supple, nicely textured style. With both racy acidity and a fleshy, textured, salty style on the palate, it’s a versatile rosé to drink over the coming 6-12 months.” Vineyard The vineyards we work with are farmed using the most up to date sustainable practices. Fox Vineyard (62%): Located on the Wahluke Slope, this site is made up of two distinct types of soils. The first being loamy, fine sand deposited by ancient glacial floods. The other half is made up of pre-ancient soils of caliche and basalt. Lewis Vineyard (14%), Windy Ridge (10%), Lewis & Clark Vineyard (8%), Kiona Vineyard (6%)
Moscato
I could drink a lot of this wine. Beautifully fragrant. White peach, nectarine, hints of wisteria and Cascade apple blossoms. Fresh minerality and delicious. You should drink a lot of this wine.
Current & Past Scores 92 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (formerly of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) “Coming from 50-year-old vines, the 2016 ViNO Moscato is a screaming white that offers notes of sugared lime, tart peach, and exotic, orange blossom notes in a medium-bodied, racy, vibrant package. It’s got great fruit, restrained sweetness, and fabulous purity. It’s ideal for enjoying over the coming year or two with a cheese course or fruit dessert.” 90 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (v2015) “Checking in at 8.5% alcohol, the sweet 2015 Moscato Vino is an absolutely delicious, pure, impressively balanced sweet wine that offers lots of floral, tropical and sugared peach aromas and flavors. It has a touch of carbonic gas that keeps it fresh and lively, and it’s going to be great with any type of fruit dessert, or even as an aperitif.” Vineyard The vineyards we work with are farmed using the most up to date sustainable practices. Upland Vineyard (84%): Located on the northern slope of Snipes Mountain at a high elevation. The soils are cobblestone, broken volcanic rock and coarse sand, created when a volcanic fault rose from an ancient river bed. Champoux (16%): An iconic vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. The soils are silty loam, and the vineyard can be quite windy which gives the fruit incredible aromatics.
ROSSO
The dark ruby color just shimmers with energy. Aromatically lovely. Small Italian cherries, subtle spice. Loose tobacco, suede & a hint of leather. A flavorful and tasty mouthful of infinitely pleasant wine.
Current & Past Scores 90 Points, JebDunnuck.com (previously from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) “A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese, the 2016 Vino Cabernet / Sangiovese offers a deep ruby/plum color as well spicy, peppery, perfumed notes of black cherries, blueberries incense, and exotic spices. Possessing much more intensity of flavor than you could want for the price tag, with medium to full-bodied richness and excellent purity, it’s a no-brainer, high quality red to drink over the coming 3-4 years. It’s a smoking value.” Vineyard The vineyards we work with are farmed using the most up to date sustainable practices. Coyote Ranch (24%): Located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The soils are a sandy loam and produce wine that are rich and lovely. Coyote Canyon (19%): Coyote Canyon overlooks the Columbia River on the southwest edge of the Wahluke Slope. A lower, cooler elevation site, with rocky soils from erratics left from the Missoula Floods. The fruit harvested from this vineyard is dark and dense with powerful tannins. . Upland (22%): Located on the northern slope of Snipes Mountain at a high elevation. The soils are cobblestone, broken volcanic rock and coarse sand, created when a volcanic fault rose from an ancient river bed. Lewis (11%), Goose Ridge (9%), Spring Creek (8%), Frenchman Hills (7%)
Red Blend
As a kid growing up in California, “Killer Drop” always had a special meaning of adrenaline filled days with friends spent in the ocean or on the mountain. Whether it was dropping into a wave from a massive swell or dropping into a bowl on a fresh powder day, Killer Drop defined our world of extreme excitement, fun and living life to the fullest.
The best inspiration comes from pulling late-night corks with friends
After many years spent in the wine business, Killer Drop was always in the back of my mind. One late night, while pulling numerous corks with friends, the vision for Killer Drop came to fruition as someone exclaimed,
“This is a Killer Drop of wine!”
I was immediately transported back to those adrenaline filled days and knew what had to be done…I set out with my good friend and winemaker, Kent Rasmussen, to create a “Killer Drop of Wine” for our friends and family.
TASTING NOTES
Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, & Merlot
Killer Drop brings together fruit from distinct regions of Northern California including Napa Valley, Sonoma, Sierra Foothills, Lodi and Mendocino. Each region provides distinct characteristics into the final blend, an expressive wine with multiple layers of complexity and balance.
Vibrant deep purple color reveals velvety red raspberries, wild blueberries and cassis. Gathering in intensity with silk notes of black cherry, chocolate and dark plum. Enticing and sensuous the wine finishes with harmonious tannins.