It was a joy to meet Julian Huber in Europe in March. He’s a fine gentleman in the mould of his father, and it’s clear his wines would make the late, great Bernhard Huber proud. Bernhard, who died in June 2014, did so much to awaken the world’s attention to Baden’s potential for great Pinot Noir. He was a “universal genius” according to the Gault Millau German Wine Guide. He loved Malterdingen and his part in shining a contemporary light on an area blessed with…

“It's a miracle how brilliant and tension-filled the 2014s are,” writes The Wine Advocate’s Stephan Reinhardt of Heymann-Löwenstein. There are some – many – Riesling fans out there for whom there’s no match for this estate. The composition and feel of these wines, heady with slate and flowers and never less than exhilarating, moved up a level some years back. And they keep getting better. Stephan Reinhardt feels the same way. “His 2013s were already great, but Reinhard Lowenstein’s 2014 Rieslings from Winningen and Hatzenport…

“Continues an outstanding run.” Those are the words of James Halliday, uttered in reference to this latest release of Sandra and Guill de Pury’s Marsanne/Roussanne. But really, it could be taken as a reflection of the progress of the resolutely traditional Yeringberg. For all the family’s refusal to fall prey to faddishness, there’s no doubt that the de Purys have relentlessly dedicated their intelligence and sensitivity to the cause of refining their estate.  The vineyard, first planted in 1863, has naturally seen changes. Varieties like…

It’s hard to think of a set of wines with such a strong family likeness and so reliably turned out as those of Glaetzer. The reason is all down to their roots. They are progeny of a man who knows his Barossa motherland and métier inside out. And they are so firmly – and anciently – embedded in the Ebenezer subregion as to be the very essence of it. “We’re indebted to the folks of yesteryear; they left their mark,” observed Campbell Mattinson in his…

 By Ed Merrison“I felt so at the right place. I saw my mum and my uncle and they all said ‘Go away. Take some time off. Do whatever you want’. Nobody said ‘You have to do it’. None of the family said that. I had to actually convince them that I wanted to stay, that I wanted to be there. I just felt at home.” It was the moment that Theresa Breuer’s fate was sealed. May 2004; she was 20 years old and her father…

Congratulations, Theresa Breuer! Just a few weeks after she left these shores, Theresa was named German Winemaker of the Year by influential European wine magazine Falstaff. Great news among many snippets in this month's newsletter. We've had various domestic releases, such as the excellent 2015 single-vineyard Rieslings from Frankland Estate , Wantirna Estate's 2014 Lily Pinot and a leftfield, limited-edition Chardonnay from Airlie Bank. There's also been a clamour for the 2013 Chablis from Louis Michel and new Rhônes from Pierre Amadieu of Gigondas. On…

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…  (more…)

 Chalmers Project is a new initiative from Australia’s undisputed champions of wine diversity. Kim and Tennille Chalmers combine vineyard and winery experimentation with some of the most exciting Mediterranean grapes thriving on the family’s Heathcote and Mildura properties. They’ve variously played with soil type, altitude, picking dates, skin contact, wholebunch ferments and more across Moscato Giallo, Fiano, Greco, Negroamaro, Aglianico and Nero d’Avola. Please note that the micro-batch production means that only very limited quantities are available, so you might have to move swiftly to…

"Each time I look, this little house in the village of Dizy appears more like a fanatical grower producer,” wrote wine writer Tyson Stelzer in The Champagne Guide 2016-2017, adding that no one else in this storied region can match its trajectory. “Jacquesson has leapt from ranking among Champagne’s top 20 houses to a lofty position among its top 10.” Laurent and Jean-Hervé Chiquet go against the grain in order to go forward. While some notable names are looking to procure more fruit and up output, the brothers…

“Chardonnay lovers will enjoy them virtually from the get-go,” wrote Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media of the Chablis wines of 2013. “Many wines are opulent and open-knit in the early going, with highly expressive aromatics,” he went on to say, adding that many growers reckoned the fruits of this vintage “more minerally than their 2012s”.It’d be wrong to paint is as plain-sailing, though. Some beautiful sunny summer days and a fine spell in late September were interrupted by smatterings of thunder, cold and rain. But…

“Jay is a dude. He looks like a rock star, and in his spare time he is one,” wrote British wine writer of the winemaker behind Oregon estate J. Christopher Wines. He’s a proper good guitarist, and the fact that he has a hobby band called Vin Halen hints at a sense of humour that serves him well in a partnership with the other dude in this enterprise: Mosel Riesling legend Ernst Loosen. Jay and Erni struck up a friendship in the early 2000s, cemented…

With each passing year the release of the single-vineyard Rieslings from this domain in far-flung Great Southern is greeted by greater and more widespread excitement and respect.  These new wines are sure to continue that trend. But this isn’t simply business as usual; it is a momentous occasion for the estate. For the past six years, second-generation winemaker Hunter Smith has been joined in the winery by brother-in-law Brian Kent. They’ve determinedly set about building on the tremendous progress made since Judi Cullam and Barrie…

Sharing wonderful wine is and always will be CellarHand's raison d'être. But the business is underpinned by family, a fact reflected by the evolution of our portfolio. Thus Mosel Riesling (Dr. Loosen) begat Oregon Pinot Noir (J. Christopher) and biodynamic Alsace (Ostertag) spawned Chilean Pinot (Montsecano). And now we bring you Napoleone Brewers, whose stream of small-batch beers has started to flow from a Yarra Valley source. We’ve enjoyed a tremendous relationship with Napoleone’s sister winery, Punt Road,  having taken on the role of Victorian distributor in 2001 and…

"No matter what the variety, what the style, PJ has already been there and done it," writes James Halliday of one of the two protagonists of Central Otago's Charteris. The other half of this trans-Tasman love story is PJ's wife, Christina Pattison. The couple met at Brokenwood, the iconic Hunter Valley estate where PJ spent 12 fateful and rewarding years. In 2015, CellarHand had the honour of welcoming Charteris and its superb wines to our portfolio. By this time, of course, PJ had become something of…

The heat is on - so we'd like to take the pressure off a little. To help you on the way, we've compiled a short guide to some of the most refreshing wines kicking round at CellarHand. It features sparkling wines, aromatic whites, rosés, light reds, magnums and a cocktail option - all at pourable prices. Take a look at the full CellarHand Summer Style guide by clicking here, and make sure this sunny season's as beautiful in your glass as it is in the vineyards.