We are delighted to introduce you to these fantastic white wines from the historic vineyards of Tokaj in Hungary. We actually began importing the wines of Attila Homonna – organic pioneer and standard-bearer for dry Hungarian whites – some years ago, having been introduced by our mutual friend Roland Velich of Moric. We now have the opportunity to expand the offering, including wines Attila makes for his great friend and like-minded grower Zoltán Jakab of Jakab Pince. VINEYARD & CELLAR The approach to vineyard management…

“It can withstand comparison with many a Grosses Gewächs from Germany,” wrote Jancis Robinson of the second release of the Wolta Wolta Riesling. She summarised the wine as “Really beautifully balanced, appetising, mature Riesling,” and ended up marvelling: “How do they do it?” The “they” in question are two sets of tireless, fearless Riesling pioneers: Ernst Loosen and the Barry family. The GG comparison is apt insofar as this is an ambitious Riesling. It’s the ultimate dry expression of a grand-cru vineyard: The high-altitude (480m),…

Good things take time, we all know. It’s around 40 million years since Antarctica’s split from Australia exposed thevolcanic seams that deposited basalt flows around the more elevated parts of the Mornington Peninsula. One of the beneficiaries of that rift is Paul Scorpo, whose Merricks North vineyard sits on the iron-rich red-brown clay-loam soils shaped by millions of years of weathering. It's on this dirt that he grows his most singular, layered and inistent wines. In keeping with the unhurried geological process, Paul hasn’t rushed…

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY OFFER We at CellarHand are fortunate to work with a number of inspiring, incredibly gifted women. Exhibit A is our exemplary matriarch, Virginia Walsh, as well as the team members that make CellarHand tick. On the grower side, of course, we are blessed to know a host of exceptional “international women”. The wines they craft bear testament to their vision, talent and strength of character. We present this offer in the hope that you, too, will share in our appreciation of their…

“It’s complex in a casual, almost off-hand way,” writes Campbell Mattinson of the new-release Leongatha Pinot Noir. It’s a fair observation of the wine but perhaps it also touches on the appeal of Onannon. Vintage 2008 saw the birth of this label. That’s some serious miles on the clock for an outfit that looks as fresh and purring as a brand-spanking sports car. The analogy ends there, though, because there’s never been a hint of flash about the way Will Byron, Kaspar Hermann and Sam…

“We have three unique blocks of Pinot Noir. The fruit chosen for the Sasso is grown from these. The three to five best-performing barrels are selected to produce a mid-weight wine with soft, savoury tannins and well-balanced acidity. It's a style that we have always enjoyed making and drinking. The wine is only produced in exceptional years, with the 2020 being the ninth year of Sasso Pinot Noir production.” – Steve & Monique Lubiana 2020 Stefano Lubiana ‘Sasso’ Pinot Noir RRP $132 SOLD OUT 100% estate-grown,…

As always, the Moonlight Race has played warm-up act to the new-vintage single-vineyard releases from Burn Cottage. And didn’t that wine bode well?! Well, the main event is here and resolutely lives up to its billing. Would you believe we’re now on the sixth vintage of the Burn Cottage white wine? Its lost none of its fresh and original appeal. Mind you, the same can be said for the Burn Cottage vineyard Pinot Noir – more than 10 vintages in and beating its own path…

It was so good to have our great friend Frédéric Blanck of Domaine Paul Blanck on these shores again this summer. Of course, it's just bloody nice to see a member of CellarHand’s European family in the flesh. But on top of that it was great to be reminded afresh of the joie de vivre of these organic wines that so purely and proudly show these grape varieties – gradually and beautifully ripened in the dry Alsatian climate - through the prism of the region’s…

Here we go: SV release no.6. Julian’s lucky number, apparently - and couldn’t we all do with a little luck right now? Well, we’re fortunate to have these. As you know, Nocturne comprises two wine ranges. The latest sub-regional (‘SR’) releases (which are, to quote their authors, “epic”) arrived in spring 2021. And as is traditional, we kick off the New Year with the top dogs: Single-vineyard Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The SV Sheoak Cabernet Sauvignon and SV Tassell Park Chardonnay remain, as ever, awesome…

“The second half of 2021 was remarkably similar to that of 2020 — wild winds in early winter whipped trees onto fences and sheds; we cooked and ate by candlelight for days; the ground was so wet that tractors and utes were bogged every day; the sheep were very fecund and the golden wattles were a beacon of brightness and renewal for us in lockdown in our rural part of ‘metropolitan Melbourne’. Our vines, animals and pastures haven’t heard of Covid so our day-to-day work…

Singular, exhilarating and tingling with mineral intrigue – it’s going to be a white Christmas, all right. Here’s a selection of diverse and detailed delights; you’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: WINE REGION RRP       RIESLING           2016 Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling Frankland River $52 2018 Loosen Barry Wolta Wolta Riesling Clare Valley $120 2017 Paul Blanck Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru Alsace $80 2019 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Spätlese Trocken Pfalz $82 2017 Gunderloch Pettenthal Riesling Grosses…

CellarHand will, as always, do everything within our power - right up to the last minute - to get your wine to you throughout this festive period. However, we ask for your patience and understanding as the logistics network comes under unprecedented strain, causing a great level of uncertainty all along the chain. In light of this, we urge you to order your wine as early as possible to give it the best possible chance of getting to you in time. In addition, we hope…

  “I have been visiting Cigliuti since the early ‘90s or so and every time I come away more impressed than before,” wrote Ian D’Agata, author of Italy's Native Wine Grape Terroirs, after his visit to the estate last year. “These are, and always have been, some of the very best Barbarescos of all, and I never cease to be amazed at how the family has tweaked and improved their wines over time,” he went on. “Not the least of their charm is how well…

Deep, detailed and deliciously refreshing… Choose a red that will reel you in and lift you up this summer. Here’s a selection of somewhat sophisticated options; you’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: WINE REGION RRP       PINOT NOIR           2018 Scorpo Eocene High Density Vineyard Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula $87 2017 Taupenot-Merme Gevrey-Chambertin Burgundy $182 2017 Jean Tardy Nuits-Saint-Georges Bas de Combe Burgundy $190 2017 Latour-Giraud Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes Burgundy $190 2013 Bernhard Huber…

Jeez, if ever there was a year where the Champagne was kept on ice, it was 2021. But whatever happens next, we’ve come this bloody far and it’s time to celebrate in style. Here’s a selection in white, rosé, red and sweet; you’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: SPARKLING REGION RRP       WHITE           NV Airlie Bank Yarra Cuvée Sparkling Yarra Valley $24 NV Stefano Lubiana Brut Reserve Tasmania $45 2020 Frédéric Mabileau Orgasmic Pét Nath Loire…