Red Wine Framingham Pinot Noir 2018. Framingham’s story started back in 1981 when an engineer from Wellington, Rex Brooke-Taylor established a vineyard in this idyllic corner of Marlborough. Rex named his new estate after his family’s ancestral home town in England and began his operation by collaborating with neighbouring wineries and using their facilities to vinify his wines. Today the estate produces all of their wines onsite and they have a real passion for working with Mother Nature to preserve their vineyards for generations to come. As well as being accredited as sustainable, the estate is certified as organic with BioGro NZ Ltd and most of the work in the vineyard is done by hand. The Framingham Pinot Noir is given its unique flavour profile by including a few whole bunches when the grapes are macerated and fermented. This adds smooth tannins and extra complexity to the finished wine. The Pinot Noir is then aged in oak barrels. The result is a silky soft red which exudes rich aromas and flavours of cranberry, cherries and plums spiced with hints of smoke and sweet cinnamon. Serve alongside charcuterie, hard cheeses or roasted duck to showcase the ripe fruit character of this exquisite red.
2018
Red Wine Framingham Pinot Noir 2018
Red Wine Woodlands Wilyabrup Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018. One of the very first vineyards to be planted in Margaret River, Woodlands was founded by David and Heather Watson in 1973. Inspired by their love of Bordeaux-style Cabernet blends, the couple dreamed of creating magnificent red wines of their own from the virgin terroir of the Wilyabrup Valley. Today the winery is considered one of the best in Australia, and in 2021 it was listed in Wine & Spirits magazine’s Top 100 Wineries of the Year. Woodlands has a total of 10 hectares of vines which are all farmed organically and vinified using vegan-friendly methods. In this punchy red Cabernet is blended with Merlot along with a smaller proportion of Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. To ensure only the best fruit goes into the bottle, the grapes are carefully sorted berry by berry on arrival in the winery with the final blend matured in French oak barrels for 14 months. Exuberant notes of cassis, blackberry and dark plum burst out of the glass, followed by undertones of sage, dried violets, and toasted oak. On the palate there’s a generous full body, firm tannins, and a long finish with lingering dark berry flavours and hints of spice.
2018
Red Wine Xanadu DJL Shiraz 2018. Founded in the 1970s by Irishman Dr John Lagan, Xanadu Winery has become one of the finest producers in Margaret River over the past couple of decades. The estate’s unusual name comes from Samuel Colerdige’s 19th century poem about Kubla Khan’s legendary capital city, an idyllic description which reminded Lagan of his newly adopted Australian homeland. Conditions here are perfect for premium winemaking thanks to the warm Mediterranean climate which is moderated by cooling sea breezes from the nearby coast. Fruit for this wine is sourced from Xanadu’s Stevens Road and Boodjidup vineyards in the Wallcliffe sub-region of Margaret River. 15% of the fruit is fermented in new French oak barrels with the remainder fermented in stainless steel tanks and then transferred to oak barrels for 14 months of ageing. Luscious cassis, blackberry, clove and dark chocolate characterise the nose while the first sip reveals a lively acidity, firm tannins, a medium body and lingering undertones of spice, baked earth, leather and crushed wild berries. The intensity of flavour makes this punchy Shiraz a great match for red meat dishes like rich beef stews, venison steaks, or even barbecued ribs.
2018