Marie Courtin Resonance Extra Brut
$112.99
A Kensington Wine Market exclusive! Dominique Moreau took over a small vineyard of mostly 40 to 50-year-old Pinot Noir, with a vision of producing single-vineyard, single varietal, single vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes- farmed with meticulous care, and vinified au naturel. Brut Resonance is 100% Pinot Noir. It is a brilliant, energetic wine endowed with gorgeous richness and depth. Succulent apricots, peaches, flowers and crushed rocks are some of the many nuances that take shape in the glass. Chalky notes linger on the precise, beautifully articulated, eternal finish. The winery is named after Moreau's grandmother, Marie Courtin.
Leonetti Cabernet
$213.99
Leonetti was founded by Gary and Nancy Figgins, in 1977 as Walla Walla’s first commercial winery. What is far less understood is that the presence of this family in Walla Walla spans over a century-long into the deep silt loam of this valley. Gary was incredibly fortunate to know his grandparents, Francesco and Rosa Leonetti, and grew up making weekend trips the short distance down the old dirt road to the Leonetti farm they established in 1906. This is the same site where, with a few cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling, Gary would come to plant his first commercial vineyard in 1974 and unknowingly establish an entire industry for our valley. Building off the inspiration he gleaned from his grandfather’s bubbling fermentations on the farm’s dirt floor basement, the only logical thing to do to honour his family’s roots would be to name the winery Leonetti Cellar. Through these experiences, Gary and his son acquired a certain perspective and reverence for our family heritage that guides them to this day. The wine has become the benchmark for Washington Cabernet, capable of aging for 20 years or more.
Basilio Izquierdo B de Basilio Tinto
$87.99
The B de Basilio Red displays a brilliant, purple-hued ruby color. This suave, fruit encased red is brightly fragrant. Rich scents of black cherry and strawberry immediately greet you on the nose, followed by hints of clay and loam. The attack is supple, silky and juicy with additional notes of blackberry and raspberry. Fine, creamy oak tones emerge, adding roundness to the supple mouthfeel. Seamlessly integrated acidity and very fine ripe tannins provide structure. The long finish is capped by soft hints of spice and chewy strawberry.
Basilio Izquierdo is a truly iconic Rioja winemaker, responsible for dozens of true classics that bring Rioja aficionados to tears, such as the great 'Imperial' and 'Viña Real' Gran Reservas of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, and the mythic Contino ’82 Reserva. In 2006, after more than 32 years as head winemaker at CVNE, he started his own personally inspired winery, Bodegas Basilio Izquierdo in a garage style cooperative winery space in the town of Laguardia within the Rioja Alavesa sub-zone of Rioja. His goal: to explore some of the lost art of Rioja winemaking in conjunction with his knowledge of the latest techniques and materials. In that first year his white wine production consisted of one new French oak barrel. Since then he has expanded to an annual production of about 5000 bottles of barrel aged red and 700 bottles of barrel fermented white.
Basilio's understanding of many of the lost traditions of Rioja form the basis for his methods and philosophy. He uses only grapes from old vine vineyards planted with massally selected vines pre-dating modern clones, which contributes to their character and complexity. Masal selection involves using a vineyard's existing plant material when replanting, thus maintaining the genetic heritage of the vineyard. Honouring earlier traditions, he employs more Garnacha in the Red and Garnacha Blanca in the White, which lend a juicy, fruity suppleness to the Red and rich tropical notes to the White, respectively. However, underneath their fruit laden exteriors these wines offer beautiful and harmonious structure that makes them worthy of long aging.
Heartland Shiraz Langhorne Creek
$22.99
The Heartland story began in the late 1990s when winemaker Ben Glaetzer became excited about the outstanding quality of fruit being grown in some of South Australia’s lesser-known regions, in particular Langhorne Creek.
Together with industry veterans Scott Collett, Grant Tilbroo, and more recently Nick Keukenmeester, they grew Heartland into an award-winning winery. Ben Glaetzer makes Heartland Wines at Barossa Vintners in Tanunda, South Australia, some 100 kilometres from Langhorne Creek. The winery was conceived as a state-of-the-art winemaking facility with the capacity to make wines for a core group of top-end producers whose fame and demand had grown beyond their winemaking capacities. Completed in 1995, Barossa Vintners was developed to make wines in the most natural possible way. The natural slope of the land allows the winery to be gravity fed and avoid a harsh pumping of the grapes juice (Ben also makes his range of Glaetzer wines at this facility, most famously his Amon-ra Shiraz). The growing conditions in Langhorne Creek are predominantly shaped by the onshore southerly winds blowing directly from the Southern Ocean across Lake Alexandrina. The prevailing southerlies reduce daytime temperature fluctuations, making it one of the cooler growing regions in South Australia
Poggio al Sole Primavera Rosado
$29.99
Poggio al Sole lies in the very heart of Tuscany, in the glorious countryside between Florence and Siena, between the towns of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Greve in Chianti. Documents in the archives of the ancient abbey of Badia a Passignano nearby testify to the claim that wine and wine oil were produced on this estate as early as the 12th century.
This beautiful rosado is made from pure Sangiovese grapes; it's fresh, fruity and deliciously easy to drink. Serve as an aperitif, or with roast chicken, roast turkey, perhaps some salmon or a charcuterie platter. As for the winery, Poggio al Sole lies in the very heart of Tuscany, in that famous, glorious countryside between Florence and Siena. Organic and Vegan friendly!
Quintarelli Amarone 2015
$559.99
A must for collectors and fine wine lovers! Quintarelli produces its Amarone only in exceptional vintages, and in doing so, crafts the benchmark for all Amarone. Giuseppe Quintarelli passed away in 2012, and the estate now rests in the capable hands of his wife and children. "The 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico was bottled seven months before I tasted it. Grapes undergo a four-month appassimento for extra concentration and intensity. Despite this heavy-handed winemaking technique (in which the clusters lose up to 30% of their water mass in the air-drying process), this is a surprisingly delicate and nuanced wine. The ageing process has definitely broken down and assimilated any of the hard edges that come from dried grapes. In its wake, the wine is polished and tight with a long, silky texture." Monica Larner from Wine Advocate
Mayu Carmenere Gran Reserva
$24.99
Originally from France's Medoc region, Carmenere has become Chile's flagship red wine grape. Mayu Carménère Gran Reserva is made from 100% Carmenere, a stunning red with luscious black fruit on the palate with notes of dried tobacco and espresso on the finish. The grapes are from the warmest part of the Elqui Valley located at the entrance of Vicuña at an altitude of 650m (2130 feet). The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and partially aged in American oak barrels. Best paired with hearty meat dishes and mature cheeses.
Marie Courtin Cuvee Eloquence Blanc de B
$157.99
A Kensington Wine Market exclusive, and a beautiful Champagne from one of our favourite producers! 93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, too. The review: "Scents and juicy, tart-edged abundance of apple, green rhubarb, papaya and musky rose radish make for a wine of almost spine-tingling invigoration, yet whose combination of lees-influence and intentionally low-pressure mousse engender a sense of polish and delicacy. A subtle suffusion of oyster liquor serves for salivary stimulation in a long finish that will have you shaking your head in intrigue and delight." 100% Chardonnay and made by Dominique Moreau, who took over a small vineyard of mostly 40 to 50-year-old Pinot Noir, with a vision of producing single-vineyard, single varietal, single vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes- farmed with meticulous care, and vinified au naturel.
Marie Courtin Cuvee Concordance
$159.99
The Concordance is an Extra Brut 100% Pinot Noir offering with zero dosage from Champagne Marie Courtin and winemaker Dominique Moreau. It is certified organic and exclusive to Kensington Wine Market!
Quote From Antonio Galloni
"Proprietress Dominique Morneau embodies all of the qualities of the artisan approach in Champagne. Hers are some of the most adventurous, cutting edges Champagnes readers will come across. Biodynamic farming, the use of natural yeasts, and low or no dosage are some of the elements that inform these wines. Above all else, the Marie-Courtin Champagnes are made with meticulously grown fruit that makes the above possible. Readers who want to explore the outer boundaries of Champagne should pay close attention to this tiny, emerging estate in the Cote des Bars, a previously under the radar part of the region that continues to produced a bevy of compelling wines."