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Graeme Melton and a mate were travelling across South Australia in 1973, their EH Holden was in dire need of maintenance and Graeme took up casual work at a passing winery. The site supervisor was Peter Lehmann and young Graeme had his epiphany on the road to Barossa Valley. Lehmann suggested that Graeme change his name to Charlie and take the pilgrimmage to Vallee Rhone. Charlie became prepossessed with the culture of old vines Grenache, Shiraz and Mourverdre. He returned to the Barossa, at a time when old vineyard fruit was made into flagon Port and growers were destroying their historic sites in return for government grants. Charlie emabarked on a crusade to conserve and restore the ancient vines, establishing his cellars at Tanunda along Krondorf Road. He.. Melton makes a mean mourvedre»
Returned servicemen from the Great War could look forward to government grants of pastoral freehold. West Australia's Willyabrup Valley was such a place, just a short walk from the balmy beaches of Indian Ocean, it offered the veterans excellent potential for agriculture. The fertile lands of Sussex Vale were originally established to animal husbandry by the discharged troopers, generations of livestock enriched the soils and it was astutely sown to vines in 1973. Fortuitously placed at the very heart of the Australian west's most illustrious estates, it continued to occupy the thoughts of neighbouring Howard Park's chief winemaker, until he acquired the property and relaunched a softly spoken range of the most exquisite wines. Aspirants of the blue blooded.. A better block on hay shed hill»
William James Maxwell was an architectural sculptor who migrated from Scotland to Australia in 1875. He built a mock castle and established a family vineyard just outside Adelaide, which he named Woodlands Park. His son planted vines in nearby McLaren Vale and his grandson served a term as winemaker for Hardy Wines at the historic Tintara wineworks. William Maxwell's progeny remain in McLaren Vale, producing the southern hemisphere's most successful brands of Honey Mead, as well as vintages of the most extraordinary value in McLaren Vale Shiraz. But what does Maxwell taste like? Gentleman James Halliday describes Maxwell as robust, picking the eyes out of McLaren Vale shiraz; licorice, dark chocolate, savoury firm, ripe tannins, blackberry, positive oak the.. Made of mature vine mclaren vale »

Circe Hillcrest Road Vineyard Pinot Noir CONFIRM VINTAGE

Pinot Noir Mornington Victoria
Dan Buckle and Aaron Drummond are Mornington born and bred. They work at the illustrious Mt Langi Ghiran but find time to share the husbandry on a precious three acre vineyard on an elevated northeast ridge at Red Hill South. The Messrs Drummond and Buckle take a decidedly Burgundian approach to processing their Pinot Noir, ferments of exclusively whole bunches are foot stomped over the course of a week before filling to small oak casks. Structured and eloquent, pastoral and intense, small batch, superior vineyard Mornington Pinot at its finest.
Available in cases of 6
Case of 6
$335.50
Vines were established on a chilly slope of deep red basalt volcanic soils along Hillcrest Road in 1993. Closely cropped at a little over one tonne per acre, the property yields a frugal harvest of awesome Pinot Noir. The tight, small bunches, physiological ripeness and immaculate skins are ideal for traditional whole bunch winemaking. The fully stemmed fruit is treated to a course of maceration, as ambient yeasts initiate a week of ferment, followed by several days of boots on pigeage. Batches are pressed into a selection of French oak barriques for completion of malolactic and a year's maturation on full gross lees without any racking, to preserve the integrity and eloquence of a tremendous site.
Purple scarlet red. Fragrant cherry ripe aromas, red apples and rhubarb notes, sasafras and anise spice. A multi layered palate of wild piquant raspberries, red licorice wick and frais de bois, dark anise tannins and sasafras oak in support of the textural, weight of fruit. Structured, dimensional and refined, its lifted finish resolves on a length of mineral and pebble pastoral complexity.
Circe
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Circe
Circe is a partnership inspired by growing up on the Mornington Peninsula and a love of Pinot Noir

Dan Buckle and Aaron Drummond met at Mount Langi Ghiran in 2007. After a vintage of Shiraz it was inevitable that the conversation would turn to any other varietal except Shiraz. With both of them growing up on the Mornington Peninsula, they were keen and curious as to what they could do with Pinot Noir from such great soil. Drummond & Buckle acquired a vineyard along Hillcrest Road, Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula, three acres undervine being roughly half I-clone Chardonnay and half MV6 Pinot Noir, with north facing rows, moderate spacing and deep red volcanic basalt soils.

Circe

Hillcrest Vineyard is leased from Paul and Louise Coronel, who planted the 3 acres in 1993. Given Paul’s engineering background the vineyard is not surprisingly meticulously set up. It is dry grown and managed for quality. As such, Drummond & Buckle keep yields low, cropping at less than 2t to the acre. Being a small vineyard means that they can really focus on the detail. They both spend a lot of time in the vineyard because, as good viticulturalists know, there is no substitute for footprints among the vines.

The name Circe derives from Homer and is a nice metaphor for the seductions and perils of Pinot Noir. Dan studied arts at university before realising it wouldn’t help him get a job. He then went on to oenology. At least his studies of the classics helped in determining a good name.

Circe

Circe