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Established 1851 by the French Marist order, Mission Estate are New Zealand's oldest winery, under continuous management ever since. The city of Lyon's Society of Mary sailed to New Zealand with little more than faith, fair winds and a few healthy vines. Men of Burgundy, they knew from good wine, they chose their ground and planted rootstock near Ngaruroro River between Napier and Hastings at Pakowhai. Agriculture and livestock were a necessity, but the establishment of a productive vineyard was essential. The area is now known as Hawke's Bay, internationally renowned for the rich terroirs of Gimblett Gravels, home of New Zealand's most salient brands... The burgundy tradition of te ika a maui»
Beechworth attracts the most artisanal winemakers, the region's rich mineral soils and parched, undulating terrains, breed wines of vigorous flavour, crystalline textures and boney savoury tannins. The first parcel of Crown Land in the region was acquired by Isaac Phillips in 1857, he christened his estate Golden Ball and built a hotel named Honeymooners Inn, servicing miners on their way up the steep trails to the Beechworth goldfields. The old pub remains but the surrounding land has been turned over to viticulture, planted to vine in the nineteen naughties, it produces a quality of wine that's reserved for the nation's most exclusive winelists. Served by savvy sommeliers and savoured by the most discerning patrons, the limited releases of Golden Ball are an essential experience for.. Small batches of beechworth's best»

Buller Valerie Merlot 2004 CONFIRM 2004 VINTAGE

Buller Valerie Merlot 2004 - Buy
Merlot Rutherglen Victoria
"FOUR STARS****!" Winestate. One of Buller's more outstanding offerings and certainly quite a superior effort for in a Rutherglen Merlot. It's Medoc like climate has yielded a sublime and velvety red that delivers, from nose onto the tongue. Harvested and plunged by hand and basket pressed, this intensely aromatic wine offers ripe plummy fruits, mint and dark chocolate on the nose. The palate is equally intense with dark fruits, dried herbs and enticing savoury and gamey characters. Not your average Merlot, albeit one that will continue to integrate and soften over the next 6 to 8 years.
The name Valerie refers to the winemaker's mother, Valerie Buller, matriarch of the Buller family winery. Planted in 1987, Buller's Indigo Valley vineyard consistently produces fruit of high quality. At 250 metres above sea level, the vineyard is ideally situated for growing Merlot. The warm sunny days ensure the grapes are well ripened whilst the cool crisp nights preserve the pure fruit characters. A champion, immense and tender Merlot with prominent gentle vapours on the nose and soft flavours that reflect the quality of the crop and winemaking skill. Alcohol 15%
Colour is red with with broad layers of a very deep garnet. Bouquet is earthy, gardeny with velvety berrys, a sweet perfume of violets and plum fruits. Intense flavours of plum and berry fruits that combine with the most distinguished tannins create soft flavours that develop into a heightened and juicy mouthfeel. Hints of chocolate and some savoury characters on the middle palate. Tannins and acid are in balance with fruit flavours. Good length and soft finish.
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Buller
After a distinguished career in the Royal Australian Navy, Reginald Langdon Buller in 1921 took up land at Rutherglen in the winegrowing region of North East Victoria

The Rutherglen winegrowing region was then, as it is now, famous for its fortified wines, Muscats, and full bodied red wines. Reginald Buller called his vineyard Calliope after the British warship. Producing delicious luscious wines and gutsy, full-bodied reds, the backbone of this vineyard is Rutherglen Shiraz. Old Shiraz vines at Calliope are not irrigated so yields are low at about one tonne to the acre. Consequently the fruit from this vineyard produces intensely flavoured wines, but in rather small quantities, that Andrew Buller crafts into wines of great depth and elegance. There are also small plantings of some of the rarer varieties including Mondeuse and Cinsaut.

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Principal red varieties grown are Shiraz and Grenache. There are also small plantings of the rare Mondeuse and Cinsaut, which are used to make the table wines. Fortified wines come from Muscat, Frontignac and Tokay (Muscadelle). Andrew Buller also has a second vineyard in the Rutherglen region at Indigo Valley, an elevated site east of Calliope. The grapes used to make the Rutherglen wines are hand picked, processed in open fermenters and generally handled using traditional methods that have not changed since the winery was first built. The wines are individualistic with a strong regional flavour.

After establishing Calliope in Rutherglen, and having weathered the storms of the Great Depression and the Second World War (during which he again served in the R.A.N.) Reginald Buller, joined by his son Richard, decided in 1951 to expand the operation. The site selected was at Beverford near Swan Hill in North West Victoria and Reginald purchased land there, establishing a new vineyard, winery and distillery. Beverford is a sleepy hamlet on the Murray Valley Highway in Northern Victoria, and enjoys the added security of irrigation - an insurance against the dry years.

Beverford is blessed with a sunny climate, good soils and ample water, the Swan Hill Winegrowing Region, as it turned out, was the ideal spot for vines. The district produces a wide range of fruits including citrus, stone fruits, dried fruit, table and wine grapes. The climate and soils of Beverford provide a favourable environment for growing wine grapes. Abundant sunshine and ample water ensure viable crops. The critical autumn ripening period is normally dry, allowing the grapes to come to the winery in good condition and free of disease.

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Having access to grapes from two different areas also allowed for the production of a wider range of wines. While Beverford was being established, Richard, supported by his wife Val, further developed Rutherglen. In 1966 Bullers for the first time produced wines under their own label. Previously all the wine had been sold in bulk to retailers and merchants.

With the progressive addition of stainless steel storage tanks, modern equipment and refrigeration, the Buller production has grown significantly over the years. As well as grapes from the estate vineyards, fruit from good growers throughout the region is processed, some of whom have been supplying Buller for three generations. The Buller Estate also has its own 17ha Magee vineyard and 11ha Athorn vineyard.

It can be hard work running a family business, but brothers in wine Rick and Andrew Buller would have it no other way. Rick oversees management of the Beverford winery while Andrew is winemaker / manager of the Calliope vineyards and Rutherglen winery. Both brothers opted for a hands on approach to learning their craft, albeit following different paths. Andrew has worked vintages in regions as diverse as Gisborne, the Clare Valley, Portugal and Beaujolais, and shows particular skill in fortified and table wines. He won a gold medal at the Rutherglen Wine Show for his first vintage port in 1981 and makes the iconic Rutherglen Shiraz, Calliope. Rick is a board member of the Victorian Wine Industry Association, treasurer of the Swan Hill Food & Wine Society, and a member of Swan Hill Inc.

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