Church Block: And then there were three

Church Block has been a favourite with red wine lovers since it was launched by Wirra Wirra back in 1972.

The brand was originally a grenache/shiraz blend before founder Greg Trott transitioned to the now-classic cabernet-led blend.

Now Church Block will offer three different McLaren Vale reds - so wine lovers will need to pay attention which iteration they pick up from their local bottle store.

Church Block 2023 Shiraz and Church Block 2024 Grenache Shiraz join the traditional Church Block 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot blend, which has become regarded as a benchmark for value with an RRP of around $25.

Maintaining the integrity and legacy of Church Block was key to the development of the new wines, says Wirra Wirra CEO Matt Deller.

“The evolution of Church Block was a natural next step,” Deller said.

“It gives us the freedom to explore McLaren Vale’s classic reds through the Church Block lens, with the same focus on authenticity, balance and style that’s defined it for more than 50 years.

“It deepens what Church Block stands for, while staying true to where it began.”

Emma Wood, Wirra Wirra’s chief winemaker since 2022, had a clear vision for the new releases.

“We’ve always approached Church Block as a fine wine,” she said. “We carefully source and blend for complexity, style, and balance.

"These new wines need to live up to the reputation built over 51 vintages by over-delivering on quality, which is why Church Block resonates with both casual drinkers and collectors alike.”

The current vintages of Church Block Cabernet Blend and Church Block Shiraz will also debut a new lightweight proprietary bottle, reducing glass weight from 547g to 410g. This innovation cuts production emissions by 68 tonnes annually, representing a 10% reduction in overall emissions for Wirra Wirra.

The new Church Block wines will hit the stores any day now.

I tried all three new release. While the cabernet-based blend remains a standout, I enjoyed the juicy fruit freshness of the grenache-shiraz blend. Both are ready to enjoy right now, while the shiraz will benefit from a few months aging.  

Yalumba pays tribute to three decades of loyal service

Yalumba will pay tribute to an employee who has given three decades of service when it release the 51st vintage of its icon The Signature red blend next month. 

The 2022 wine is dedicated not to a winemaker, or viticulturist, but to former executive director of sales for Australia and New Zealand, Paul Midolo.

The label of each release of the Barossa Cabernet Shiraz bears the signature and story of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the culture and traditions of Yalumba.

"This year, the decision was easy," said fifth-generation proprietor Robert Hill-Smith ."We are going to honour Paul Midolo, who started 29 years ago with us in Queensland as an area manager and within six months was invited to become a sales manager.

Midolo retired from Australia's oldest family owned winery in December.

"Paul has held a variety of key roles in Australian distribution, building a distinguished career that will be fully documented in time," Hill-Smith said.

"His impact has been immense, and his departure sees a significant amount of humour and wisdom leave our company. He will be deeply missed.

"Paul's ability to build strong relationships across the business with our sales teams, our principal partners, and customers is a testament to him as a person."

Midolo said: "It has been a great, fun journey. The biggest thing I will miss is the people, the interaction, the support. They have made my journey enjoyable."

The Yalumba team is very happy with the 2022 The Signature.

"The 2022 vintage presented cool and mild conditions, allowing the grapes to achieve their full potential, producing a wine of precision and generosity," said Yalumba senior red winemaker Kevin Glastonbury.

"It is very much in keeping with The Signature style that wine connoisseurs have come to know and expect."

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz 2022 was released on May 1. 

I tasted it this week and it is an absolute ripper: beautifully composed with everything in its place. Elegant but with plenty of flavour; fruit and oak beautifully balanced. The ideal choice to take to a dinner party, or two share with fellow wine lovers. 

Glastonbury advises to decant it to enjoy now, or cellar for 15+ years. RRP $74.

See yalumba.com

Meet Attunement: a new classic Australian red blend

A new-release from St Hugo is a serious discovery for lovers of aged, and age-worthy, Australian red wines.

It is a very impressive blend of Barossa shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet - a classic Australian blend.

"We’re delighted to welcome a brand new shiraz cabernet blend to the St Hugo portfolio: St Hugo Attunement Barossa Coonawarra Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2018," says St Hugo chief winemaker Peter Munro.

"We’ve made this classic blend driven by a singular ambition: to create a wine that promises complexity, elegance, power and refinement, resulting in a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

"As classic blends go I’d say this is more on the ‘robust end’ but as we know with all blends, it’s about the synergy and why we named this wine Attunement. Precision perfected."

The grapes for the blend, 64% shiraz and 36% cabernet sauvignon, were sourced from two vineyards in the Barossa for shiraz and one for cabernet and one for shiraz in the Coonawarra.

The split between the regions leans towards the Barossa at 52% and 48% Coonawarra.

I liked the immediate drinkability on offer here, the synthesis between the two grape varieties and regions, and the cellaring potential.

"Vintage 2018 was fantastic across South Australia, a little warmer than usual, resulting in pure fruit flavours from both regions," says Munro.

"The fruit was de-stemmed and crushed into static and open fermenters with pumping over regularly to achieve excellent extraction, flavour and tannin.

"The fruit was then drained and pressed followed by malo and ageing for 17 months in new French oak (76%). The team then sat down for the final blending; very much in true St Hugo style: all precision and attention to detail.

Attunement will cost you around $100 a bottle and will be available at selected Dan Murphy stores nationally.

Why [yellow tail] and Domino's are teaming up

Australian wine brand [yellow tail] and pizza giant Domino’s have teamed up for an unlikely collaboration in some US markets.

The [yellow tail] team has introduced a red bland in a 1.5-litre bottle "designed to pair best with a traditional Domino's cheese pizza as well as a variety of popular toppings".

"At [yellow tail], we believe that seriously good wine doesn't need to be so serious," says Dan Kleinman, chief brand officer, for US distributors Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with Domino's, a brand loved by customers for interesting and exciting creations, to make the everyday pizza night more convenient, special and, most importantly, more fun."

Some of the new bottles will feature the Twist.Tap.Order. cap, a smart technology that connects with the Domino’s app. Customers can quickly place a pizza order by twisting off and tapping the cap on a smartphone. That feature will start on Monday in US market, including Florida, Washington, DC., Nebraska, Wyoming and Oregon, a media release says.

"Domino's is known for innovations," says Kate Trumbull, executive vice president, chief marketing officer for Domino's.

"We're always looking for ways to make ordering easier than ever, and 'Twist.Tap.Order.' does that. It's all about convenience, and we're excited to give customers yet another fun way they can order their favourite pizza."

If your are in the US, you can check out www.yellowtailwine.com/us/dominos/

Mourinho aims to kick goals with his celebrity wine

Larger-than-life soccer manager Jose Mourinho is the latest celebrity to lunch his own wine - and it will cost you big time if you want to buy a bottle of his The Special One red blend.

Portuguese-born Mourinho is one the most famous managers in the world, having been in charge of clubs including Benfica, Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, AS Roma, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Real Madrid and currently Fenerbahçe in Istanbul.

Mourinho led Porto to the Champions League title in 2004 and his first beverage is a wine from a close to the city of Porto.

The Special One, the nickname Mourinho gave himself, is a Douro red made from a blend of touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta barroca and sousão, news portal The Drinks Business reports.

A bottle will set you back €144 if you pre-order in Europe, or $220 in Australia via https://thespecialonewine.com.au/

In a blurb adorning the presentation box that wine is presented in, Mourinho says: “As someone who values precision, quality, and excellence in every endeavour, I am proud to present The Special One.

“Hand-picked from one of my favourite regions in Portugal, this wine reflects the spirit of my homeland and my relentless desire to enjoy every moment in life.

“Crafted with passion and care, it is a gift from one special one to another. Whether you’re celebrating a victory or spending time with people you care about, this wine is meant to be shared with someone truly special.”

Meet the wine matured in Caribbean rum barrels

I am not a huge fans of wines that divert from tradition. I'm a Chablis, Clare Valley riesling, Tassie pinot noir kind of guy. 

So to be honest, I was not expecting to enjoy the latest addition to the Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel collection: Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz Cabernet Rum 2021. 

This is the first time the JC team has used rum barrels to finish a Double Barrel wine. 

The new release joins a range consisting of Chardonnay, Shiraz Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. These wines are finished in aged Scotch whisky barrels (for the Shiraz, Shiraz Cabernet and Chardonnay) and Irish whiskey (for Cabernet Sauvignon) barrels.

Winemaker Dan Swincer says the barrel finishes lead to deeper, richer and more complex wines. 

"Rum is perfect for this time of year as the weather cools and we look to share time with friends over heartier-style meals, or by the fire," Swincer says. 

He's right. There is a whole lot of rich flavour to the blend and the wine would pair well with big dishes like steak with monkey gland sauce (look it up), or Americans spare ribs with lashings of smoky barbecue sauce. 

"The Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel range has always given us a chance to innovate," Swincer says. "With this new release we wanted to go beyond the expected and take varietal styles to a new level. 

"For a wine finished in Caribbean rum barrels, it was important to start with a rich and deeply fruited red wine. We went with a blend of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon; the shiraz offering the plushness and richness from the fruit and the cabernet sauvignon providing structure, density and the tannin profile - a fantastic base to start.

The Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz Cabernet Rum 2021 ($25 RRP) is first matured in traditional French and American oak wine barrels. Once blended, portions are matured in oak casks that previously aged Caribbean rum. 

"The result is a combination of rich flavours; on the nose you’ll find lifted aromatics, dark fruits and a slight leafiness, while the palate is lush with notes of cocoa and vanilla from the traditional oak." Swincer says. 

"The rum barrel also imparts rum and raisin flavours with a hint of Christmas cake." 

Give it a go. You might be surprised. 

Meet the Penfolds wine made in China

Meet the new Penfolds wine that most people will not be able to try until next year.

Australia's most visible wine brand globally has just launched its much anticipated made-in-China wine, which will be sold in the Chinese market exclusively starting from this month.

With China still imposing tariffs on Australian wines, Penfolds has moved fast to reclaim its market share in what was once Treasury Wine Estates' most lucrative export market, with this new Chinese Penfolds, Chinese website Vino Joy reports.

The Chinese wine, made from fruit grown in the Ningxia region, will be part of a new range of wines called One by Penfolds. It will be sold only in China until a global launch in mid-2023.

Penfolds now makes wines on four continents: in Australia, in France, the US and now China.

The red blend from 2020 will sell for RMB 228 (US$31.6), which is a big price for the average Chinese cons.

The packaging design has been created by artist Ori Toor, an illustrator and video animator based in Tel Aviv.