They’re on high rotation round here: 20 greatest hits from CellarHand’s imports range, featuring 13 producers and 10 different regions. Distinctly European and with an irresistible feel-good factor, these wines are priced for everyday enjoyment. Please get in touch for mix n’ match opportunities to create your own playlist…
SPARKLING
NV Dominique Piron Crémant de Bourgogne Beaujolais RRP $37
RIESLING
2014 Dr Loosen “Dr L” Riesling Mosel RRP $24
2014 Wittmann 100 Hugel Riesling Rheinhessen RRP $27
2014 Paul Blanck Riesling Alsace RRP $32
2012 Koehler-Ruprecht Saumagen Riesling Kabinett Trocken Pfalz RRP $41
2013 Dr Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $42
GRÜNER VELTLINER
2014 Stift Göttweig Grüner Veltliner Messwein Kremstal RRP $25
2014 Domäne Krems Grüner Veltliner Kremstal RRP $23
PINOT GRIS
2014 Villa Wolf Pinot Gris Pfalz RRP $24
2014 Paul Blanck Pinot Gris Alsace RRP $32
2014 Dveri-Pax Pinot Gris Slovenia RRP $31
CHARDONNAY
2013 Dominique Piron Beaujolais Blanc Beaujolais RRP $31
OTHER WHITES
2014 Paul Blanck Pinot Blanc d’Alsace RRP $25
2013 La Spinetta Vermentino Tuscany RRP $31
2014 Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer Pfalz RRP $22
ROSÉ
2014 Dominique Piron Rosé Beaujolais RRP $27
LIGHT REDS
2014 Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Pfalz RRP $24
2014 Pittnauer Pitti Burgenland RRP $25
2013 Dominique Piron Beaujolais-Villages Beaujolais RRP $28
2012 Pierre Amadieu Côtes du Rhône Roulepierre Rhône RRP $24
WINE NOTES & REVIEWS
SPARKLING
No. 20 – NV Dominique Piron Crémant de Bourgogne Beaujolais RRP $37
Crémant de Bourgogne is a hit-and-miss appellation but can be a great buy when you find something well made that taps into the impeccable Chardonnay potential of the region. This is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the village of Corcelles, from soils that are a mix of clay and limestone. The vines face north-northwest, ensuring slow ripening and good acid retention. Made in the traditional method over 12 months, the wine is given only a very light dosage at final bottling.
RIESLING
No. 19 – 2014 Dr Loosen “Dr L” Riesling Mosel RRP $24
This entry-level Dr. Loosen Riesling embodies the elegant and racy characteristics of steep, slate-soil Mosel vineyards at a very reasonable price. It is a bright, vibrant, fruit-driven wine made with grapes from contracted growers throughout the Mosel River valley who work very closely with brothers Ernst and Thomas Loosen to achieve excellent quality and superb concentration in every vintage.
No. 18 – 2014 Wittmann 100 Hugel Riesling Rheinhessen RRP $27
100 Hugel means ‘hundred hills’. It’s an aromatic, dry wine with lively acidity and freshness. It’s bright pale straw in the glass, and the nose displays good lift with floral top notes followed by some ripe tropical fruits, ripe lime and some honeyed characters. The palate shows flavours of ripe pineapple, tropical fruits and ripe citrus with a clean, crisp-acid finish. With its impeccable fruit/acid balance, it has a long aftertaste of tropical fruits, pineapple and citrus.
No. 17 –2014 Paul Blanck Riesling Alsace RRP $32
“A seriously lovely Alsace riesling, with all the expected flavour – and unexpected elegance and lightness of foot running alongside the synergistic fusion of fruit and acidity. There are none of the phenolic hoof prints of many young Alsace Rieslings, instead hints of spiced pear and camomile. Bargain, and will glide through the next 20 years. Drink to 2034; 12.5% alc; screwcap. 94 points.” James Halliday
No. 16 – 2012 Koehler-Ruprecht Saumagen Riesling Kabinett Trocken Pfalz LUC $25.80
Saumagen is one of the finest sites in the Pfalz – in fact, wine writer Stuart Pigott posits that “Saumagen Riesling… may still be the most underrated dry white wine in the world”. The grapes are hand-harvested in up to five selective pickings. They’re crushed and spend 12 to 24 hours on skins before spontaneous fermentation. The wines are aged in traditional oval-shaped oak or chestnut barrels ranging from 300 to 2400 litres, with up to nine months on lees. They’re lightly filtered and bottled just before next harvest.
No. 15 – 2013 Dr Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Mosel $26.45
The small village of Graach lies between two more famous neighbours: Bernkastel and Wehlen. This grand-cru vineyard’s steep, southwest-facing slopes and deep soils produce wines that combine the elegance of Wehlen with the rustic strength of Bernkastel. Bracing acidity and forceful minerality from the blue slate soils, give Graach wines great ageing potential.
GRÜNER VELTLINER
No. 14 – 2014 Stift Göttweig Grüner Veltliner Messwein Kremstal RRP $25
“Light, refreshing wine more akin to a cool, lemon-ginger tea than something more serious, but drinkability makes this thing even more fun in glass. Smells like mentioned lemons, lime, ginger, sniff of cucumber. Tonic and lemon and ginger to taste, simple, clean, long, lean, and crisp acidity does its thing to close. Just so summery and great to drink. 90 points.” Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
No. 13 – 2014 Domäne Krems Grüner Veltliner Kremstal RRP $23
The south-facing vineyards of the estate provide an ideal environment for fresh, delicately spicy white wines such as this typical, refreshing Grüner Veltliner. Warm, well-ventilated loess allows an early harvest at full ripeness preserving the slight tangy, fruity, fresh aromas of pineapple and grapefruit allied to pleasing acidity, along with a long, harmonious finish typical of the Kremstal.
PINOT GRIS
No. 12 – 2014 Villa Wolf Pinot Gris Pfalz RRP $24
The predominant soil type is well-drained, weathered sandstone, which produces wines with a fruit-driven purity and a stony structure. The fruit is harvested at optimal ripeness for a bright, fresh style. No overripe or botrytis affected fruit is allowed. The grapes are processed as quickly as possible to preserve freshness, with fermentation in a combination of stainless steel, large neutral oak casks and concrete tanks.
No. 11 – 2014 Paul Blanck Pinot Gris Alsace RRP $32
Beautifully limpid. Luminous flashes, a twinkling, of pale straw gold. A gentle nose, giving off a subtle aromatic mix of fruit flesh (peaches, nectarines) and cereal grain. The attack is both delicate and concise, with tiny beads of gas that vanish when confronted with this nicely fleshed-out, sappy body of wine. Exquisite feel, reminiscent of angora wool, with the flavours developing into a smooth balsamic style. A soothing thirst-quencher.
No. 10 – 2014 Dveri-Pax Pinot Gris Slovenia RRP $31
Pinot Gris with its small, cylindrical berries produces vigorous wines rich in extract, profound in flavour and with a vast amount of substance. A touch of salmon-pink hue shows its reddish skin grape origin. It has a pronounced bouquet and rich reminiscence of red apples and yellow apples and pears. Very dry, with lot of freshness, full-body and buttery texture. Do we dare to say it offers freshness of Pinot Grigio and lushness of Pinot Gris? A classic Slovenian Pinot Gris.
CHARDONNAY
No. 9 – 2013 Dominique Piron Beaujolais Blanc Beaujolais RRP $31
Quite dense and stone fruity with earthy, almost fresh mushroomy aromas, getting into some red fruit notes as well. Spicy, charry, a lot of concentration. Fruit from limestone soils from the village of Corcelles, it went through full malo but doesn’t show it. Whole-bunch pressed into tank, fermented in stainless steel with 3% in barrel.
OTHER WHITES
No. 8 – 2014 Paul Blanck Pinot Blanc d’Alsace RRP $25
Fruit was sourced from gravel, sand and south-facing clay and limestone vineyards. It was gently whole-bunch pressed before spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel. It shows aromas of flowers, peach and apricot pits, lemon and grapefruit peel. A fresh, balanced, cheerful young wine.
No. 7 –2013 La Spinetta Vermentino Tuscany RRP $31
100% Vermentino from 10-year-old vines grown on a 180m-high, south-facing vineyard on mixed clay and sand soils. Fermented with natural yeasts, the wine spent four months on lees in stainless steel. A perfect example of what Vermentino should be, with a rich yet complex nose showing scents of pine, seaweed, citrus and flowers. Medium-bodied and textured on the palate, with notes of almond meal, fresh peach and lime framed by crisp acidity on the finish. True Tuscan class.
No. 6 – 2014 Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer Pfalz RRP $22
Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer is clean, fruity and wonderfully light on its feet, showing off the aromatic charm of the variety without being heavy or ponderous. It has a deliciously juicy texture and a delightfully delicate aroma of spice and fresh roses. It’s very refreshing to drink on its own and makes a perfect accompaniment to spicy Asian cuisine.
ROSÉ
No. 5- 2014 Dominique Piron Rosé Beaujolais RRP $27
100% Gamay from vines in Corcelles with an average age of 40 years. The subsoil is a patchwork of granite, clay and limestone which gives the wine its nuances. Very crunchy, pure and fresh. Some hints of candy, but enough dryness to keep that in check. Quite chewy and supple at the same time, with nice density and a dry finish.
LIGHT REDS
No. 4 – 2014 Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Pfalz RRP $24
Pinot Noir has a long tradition in the Pfalz region, where it is known as Spätburgunder. Villa Wolf Pinot Noir is warm and medium-bodied, with a firm acid structure. Its bright black-cherry fruit is juicy, ripe, and forward, with a spicy mid-palate. Twelve months of aging in used barriques gives the wine a smoky depth and a nice touch of earthy tannins. It’s an excellent, approachable red wine for everyday dining.
No. 3 – 2014 Pittnauer Pitti Burgenland RRP $25
“Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt. Value and interest here, as per usual. Spicy, blue fruit and flowers, touch of smoke and a distinct rocky/minerally thing going on. Light to medium bodied, crisp and crunchy, fair amount of fruit, light dusty tannin, spicy floral finish. Great drinking. And a little bit different. 90 points.” Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
No. 2 – 2013 Dominique Piron Beaujolais-Villages Beaujolais RRP $28
“I guess you kind of either ‘get’ Beaujolais, or you don’t. I find it a blessed relief in so many respects. Its freshness and good table manners make it so appealing to drink. It’s light, fresh and vivacious with raspberry, flowers and a dusting of white pepper. Crisp acidity, peppery red berry flavours, light mineral feel to it, fine tannin and a modest but mouth-wateringly crunchy finish. So fresh and enticing it’s hard not to love. And love again. One of those wines where the score is not really important. Just drink it. 89 points.” Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
No. 1 – 2012 Pierre Amadieu Côtes du Rhône Roulepierre Rhône RRP $24
“A fine example of a modern, spotlessly clean and vibrant Côtes du Rhône that perfectly reflects its terroir and origins. Its dusty bouquet of raspberries, blackberries and a hint of liquorice is backed up by a pleasing earthy note. It’s medium in weight, long and gentle with a restrained presence of red and blue fruits underpinned by fine-grained, powdery tannins, developing a little richness and weight as it extends towards a soft and savoury finish. If you’re looking for a way into Rhône reds, look no further.” Jeremy Oliver, Gourmet Traveller WINE