?A translucent garnet hue with aromas of wild strawberry, pomegranate and pomelo laced with wild thyme, cedar, and gunflint. This unique bouquet is followed on the palate with cardamom, allspice, damson plum, strawberry, and tart cherry. The wine is lithe and agile with fine tannins and incredible persistence, finishing with distinctive salinity. Intense fragrance, unique savoury undertones, and electric energy are the hallmarks of Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir and the 2022 vintage delivers this in a balletic way.  Mesmerising at release, this wine will continue to develop for at 15+ year? Jen Parr - September 2023

The four Valli Pinot Noirs

The four sub regions that winemaker Grant Taylor makes Pinot Noir from each year encompass widely varying landscapes, soil types and climates from the maritime influenced weather in the Waitaki Valley Vineyard on the ironically named Grant's Road; a site that Grant Taylor owns, through to the semi continental climates of Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo. 

Bendigo

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown on the Chinaman's Terrace Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. This elevated vineyard was planted in 2005 between 314 metres and 374 metres above sea level with five different Pinot Noir clones; Abel, 115, UCD5, 667 and 777. The soils are shallow sandy loams with a high clay content and also include a small lower section with gravel soils.  Bendigo has a semi continental, arid climate. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Bannockburn

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir; namely, 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Gibbston Valley

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Gibbston Highway, which were planted between 1999 and 2000 at between 343 and 351 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir clones on this site are 777, 115, UCD5 and 114. Soils are alluvial loess which ranges from 0.5 to 1 metre deep over firm river gravels.

Rainfall is lower here than in Bannockburn and Bendigo. The climate is considered semi continental. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Waitaki Valley

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on Grant's Road in the Waitaki Valley, a maritime influenced climate planted between 2004 and 2005 at 200 metres above sea level on limestone based soils. River gravels also make up some of the soil type here and vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

There's a saying "plant pears for your heirs", which is why several years after grafting over to perry pears, we still have a limited crop. For our 2021 vintage, we have blended these tannin bombs with Taylor's Gold pears and added a few Egremont Russet apples to bring a little acidity to the blend.

The result is a smooth, creamy perry with a modest natural sweetness.

Fruit: Perry pear (unidentified), Taylor's Gold, Egremont Russet
Residual sugar: 9g/l
Aged: 6 months in oak and steel

5.7% ABV.

President Tul brandy is one of the jewels of the Alvear house and is aged for long periods in American oak casks, by criaderas and solera systems for over fifteen years.

Colour - Bright, an old-mahogany gold colour with golden tones.

Nose - Powerful, complex, deep and very attractive aroma. Remember the oak where it is kept in breeding.

Palate - Elegant, thin, with a faint sweet note reminiscent of Pedro Ximenez, very long and persistent

Tempranillo is one of the world’s most popular on trend red grapes at the moment and it’s easy to taste why in this earthy little bottle of deliciously full bodied goodness. 

New on our Under $25 stand now – pop in for a bottle or half a case.

Grosjean's velvety Gamay from north east Italy tastes ideal with cured meats such as salami, prosciutto and Italian soups.

Gamay's smooth red fruited flavours and lifted red floral perfume are best known from France's Beaujolais region but here's an Italian take on the same theme from the dramatic beauty of the Valle d'Aoste in north east Italy. Grosjean is a small volume, high quality focussed producer, which makes this wine from grapes grown between 700 and 850 metres above sea level on steep sunny mountainous slopes.

The Grosjean family traces its roots back to the village of Fornet in the high mountain passes of the Valle d?Aosta known as Valgrisenche where they raised cattle. During the summer months, the family cultivated grapes and chestnuts on the slopes at a lower altitude, stocking up on wine to supply themselves over the long winters. In 1969, Dauphin Grosjean, the father of the five sons that now collaborate to produce the wines of this estate, was encouraged to present his wine at the local ?wine expo?. The exceptional quality of his work was recognized and the entire family became engaged in the expansion of the vineyards and in the production of wine.

The estate has now grown to encompass seven hectares of vineyards. The domaine is located in the hamlet of Ollignan on the border of the towns of Quart and Saint Christophe and includes ?cru? vineyard sites such as Tzeriat, Rovettaz, Creton, and Touren in Quart, plus Tzant? de Bagnere, Merletta and Castello di Pleod in Saint Christophe. After starting out with the traditional Petit Rouge along with some Gamay, Pinot Noir and Petite Arvine, the Grosjeans have planted other local varietals such as Fumin, Cornalin, Premetta and Vuillermin.

Sustainable farming techniques have been in place since 1975: only organic fertilizers are applied and no pesticides or herbicides are used. Natural yeasts are utilized for fermentation.

Vermouth is a wine that is aromatized and fortified by maceration in alcohol with herbs and spices (leaves, flowers, roots, bark, etc.). This red vermouth comes from the Piedmont region in Italy using white wine and a proprietary blend of herbs and spices. This is a deep red vermouth with an intense and complex palate. Enjoy as is or in a cocktail. 

This complex and affordable Chianti Classico is a full bodied, ripe and powerful wine made from a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, each grape contributing depth, body and balance to the wine. 

This brand was traditionally produced by a well known cooperative with over 60 different grape growers contributing to the blend but the brand has now been acquired by Tenute Piccini, which employs the highly respected consultant oenologist, Riccardo Cotarella.

THE CHIANTI CLASSICO APPELLATION

Chianti Classico is the heart of the wider Chianti production zone and its wines are distinguished by a trademarked black rooster on their labels. The wines of Chianti Classico are higher in quality and noticeably so in taste than wines labelled Chianti, which come from a broader area in Tuscany. The wines taste better because the vines are planted on hillsides with a higher degree of  iron rich soils and a greater diurnal temperature range, which provides more powerful, riper fruit flavours, which are balanced by higher acidity thanks to the cooler night time temperatures. 

The Sangiovese grape must make up 80% of all wines labelled Chianti Classico compared to 70% Sangiovese for wines labelled Chianti. 

Chianti was first defined as a wine producing sub region within Tuscany in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III, whose wanted to protect the integrity of the wines and prevent fraud. The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium was formed in 1924 with the distinctive Black Rooster trademark chosen to feature on the labels. 

Masseria Li Veli Orion Primitivo is an exceptional red wine hailing from the sun-drenched vineyards of Puglia, Italy. Crafted with meticulous care by the renowned Masseria Li Veli winery, this Primitivo showcases the rich heritage and vibrant flavours of the region. The combination of ample sunshine, cooling sea breezes from the Adriatic and Ionian seas, and the region’s unique terroir allows Masseria Li Veli to produce high-quality Primitivo that truly reflects the character of Salento.

With its deep ruby hue, Orion Primitivo offers an enticing bouquet of ripe red berries, plums, and hints of spice. On the palate, it delivers a full-bodied experience with velvety tannins and a harmonious balance of fruit and earthy notes. Perfect for pairing with hearty Italian cuisine or enjoyed on its own

A skin contact white from Trebbiano, Malvasia, Verdicchio and Grechetto made by the nuns of a monastery from a five hectare plot in the town Vitorchiano, in the region of Lazio. The wine is now made under the guidance of Giampiero Bea, of Paolo Bea, and has seen vast improvements in quality.

This wine offers herbal and fruit forward aromas and flavours with apple, fennel seed and fresh apricots making an appearance.

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Small batch and hand-crafted from a secret family recipe, Rose Rabbit Butterscotch Liqueur is decadently sweet, with toasty, buttery notes married with robust Cardrona Single Malt. -Cardrona.