The Wine Front – You can buy with confidence. This hits the nail on the head. It’s fragrant, pretty, varietal and juicy. Drinkability as a result is writ large, though the wine’s fine/firm tannin structure suggests that it’s going nowhere in a hurry. Now or later. Strawberries, red cherries and assorted spice. Some tang but not in a sweet-sour way. Oak well in check. Dry finish with a bit of crackle and spice to it. Lovely.
The Wine Front – Rose oil and sappy perfume, juicy sweet and sour cherry, autumnal stuff, spice. Medium bodied, spiced cherry and plum, firm acidity, sappy flavours, a bit savoury, length good too, mulchy and pert.
James Halliday – Hand-picked, wild yeast, 7 days cold soak, open-fermented, 5 days post-ferment maceration, matured in French oak (20% new) for 11 months, not fined or filtered. Good hue, clear purple-crimson; has a tangy brightness to the cherry-accented fruit flavours, the palate long and particularly well balanced; a juicy, fresh finish, oak no more than a whisper.
The Wine Front – It’s its usual savoury self. This wine is noted for its white pepper notes and they are on clear display here, though not to the extent they sometimes are. Garden herb/bunch notes, black pepper, a walk through a garden, a cool succulence. Tannin is fine, assertive and peppery at once. Hold tight here; this wine needs a couple of years to find its feet.
James Halliday – No details about this wine but it shouts of an abundance of whole-bunch characters exacerbating the meaty reduction and yet, it’s also compelling. Spiced red cherries, twiggy and sappy with crunchy acidity backed up by textural, lightly sandy tannins. - Jane Faulkner
The Wine Front – Plum, cherry, stalky (in a positive sense) with a lick of baking spice oak, and something of a woodsy/undergrowth thing. It’s medium-bodied, but intense in flavour, a little smoky/toasty oak in with ripe red fruit, firm grainy tannin grip, with a spicy and gently sappy/stalky finish of excellent length. Quite bold, and maybe the oak is a little too assertive as a young wine, but really very good.
James Suckling – This winery has been through corporate grappling to offer a good reason to return to the wines, which have long been regional stalwarts. Red cherries, dill and mescal derived from whole-bunch fermentation. Herbal potpourri, rhubarb and sweetness across a medium-bodied palate. A little too sweet, but that is often the challenge of New World pinot here and elsewhere. A lovely pinot.
The Wine Front – This is a very good release and a very pleasing bottle of Pinot Noir. Strawberry, red cherry, spice, a gentle sappiness. It’s medium-bodied, bright and juicy, but has good concentration of flavour, a little blood orange tang, with a finish of good length and fine-grained tannin grip. Very nice. It’s 92 or 93 points. Either way, it’s a charming wine.
James Halliday – How lovely to taste this knowing Stonier is back on track with new owners who love the place and a winemaker, as in Justin Purser, keen to ensure a tradition of making distinctive, high-quality wines can now continue unabated. No better way than to start with a lovely pinot sourced from grower vineyards. Upfront cherries and pips, lightly spiced with blood orange and zest with wafts of forest floor and savoury oak. Sweet fruit, supple tannins and uplifting acidity glide across the palate. It tastes so good.
James Suckling – Sappy, mid-weighted pinot noir. Lipstick-smudge, sticky tannins compress a densely packed mid-palate, medium of body and far from heavy. Yet the aromatic spectrum is largely of a medicinal red-fruited spectrum, singed with orange-zest sourness, conferring length and verve. This is a very good proprietary expression, brimming with flavor and a modicum of class.
The Wine Front – "A compote of strawberries, crushed bitter herbs, pomegranate and orange zest. It’s a satisfying medium-bodied red wine. It has that pretty edge of red fruit and the umami side of decaying leaves. It’s mandarin peel, light liquorice and cherry in the aftertaste. The flavour lingers but the tension eases, leaving a touch of warming cinnamon on the gums. Very approachable and easy to like, no less." - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
The Wine Front – “Strong release. Both woodsy spice and oak notes aplenty but with the fruit to support it. Back cherries, strawberries, toast and coffee grounds, with cedar and dried herb notes over the top. Both inherently complex and inherently bold, even at 12.6% alc. Savoury to the point of bitter, but not. Firm-ish. It’s not for drinking now; it’s built to be matured.” - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
"Complex foresty, earthy, leaf-litter aromas and flavou
James Halliday – “The most structured offering in the Quealy stable – the tannins are textural with seemingly more fruit weight. It still has the vivacity of the ’21 vintage, yet incorporates hints of sweet and tart rhubarb, dark cherries, mocha and dried herbs plus cedar oak flavour. The palate doesn’t quite flesh out, even if it is medium bodied, as the acidity is keeping everything reined in, bar the slightly bitter, charred radicchio character on the finish, which adds to the mouthfeel and pleasure of drinking." - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion 2024
The Wine Front – “This is a beauty. Sweet fruited and sweet spiced. Strawberries and ash, twigs and leaves, all the components teaming as one. There’s excellent linger to this release, excellent finesse. It’s not necessarily a powerful pinot noir, but it has long fingers. It’s (very) good now and it will mature well. This is my favourite of the 2021 releases; it’s all charm.” - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
James Halliday – “Don’t bother cellaring this. It’ll be fine if you do so in the short-term, yet this is ready now. A gorgeous combo of florals and spice, red cherries and raspberries, chinotto and blood orange. Lighter framed with soft, silky tannins and a refreshment throughout.” - Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion
James Halliday – At first, it comes across as powerful with some meaty reduction, a little charry and tannins holding sway. Then it shifts, unfurls and becomes far more revealing. Theres gloss and smoothness across the palate with black cherries, savoury spices and herbs and a smidge of radicchio. Yes, it has structure but it is also seductive. 96 points. Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion Jul 2023
The Wine Front – Fresh pineapple, green melon, and rind, cedar, and spice. It’s juicy, firm in acidity, and has a pleasing chalky texture. There’s some cinnamon oatmeal in the mix too, and lemon zest playing out on the finish.
Red wine, with its deep hues and multifaceted flavors, has been a cornerstone of many cultures for centuries. Made primarily from black grapes, the range of tastes and aromas these wines can exhibit is truly astounding, all thanks to varying grape varieties, fermentation processes, and aging techniques.
One of the most celebrated aspects of red wine is its ability to evolve in the bottle. Over time, flavors meld and mature, transforming a young, fruit-forward wine into a more nuanced, complex delight. This aging process, whether it takes place in oak barrels or in the bottle itself, gives enthusiasts the thrill of experiencing a wine's evolution.
Regions play a crucial role in defining the characteristics of red wines. The temperate climate of Bordeaux produces structured wines like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, while the sun-baked vineyards of Tuscany yield the Sangiovese grape, forming the backbone of the renowned Chianti.
Tannins, those compounds that can lend a puckering sensation to the mouth, are another signature feature of red wines. These natural preservatives are what allow some wines to be cellared for decades, emerging more refined and harmonious with age.
Beyond just being a beverage, red wine is a journey, a reflection of the land and climate, the grape variety, and the vision of the winemaker. It's a testament to nature's bounty and human innovation intertwined in every bottle.
Red wine is a type of wine made primarily from dark-colored (red or black) grape varieties. The actual color of the wine can range from intense violet, for young wines, to brick red for mature wines, and even brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple and red grapes is greenish-white; the red color comes from anthocyanin pigments present in the grape skins. The winemaking process involves fermenting grape juice in contact with its skins, allowing the liquid to extract color, flavors, and tannins from them. Red wines typically offer flavors of dark fruits like cherries, blackberries, and plums, often accompanied by notes of tobacco, leather, and spices, influenced by grape variety and aging techniques.
Red wine is produced globally, but certain regions have earned accolades for their signature reds. Bordeaux in France is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends. Burgundy, another French region, is celebrated for its world-class Pinot Noir. Italy's Tuscany region produces iconic wines like Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, primarily from the Sangiovese grape. Napa Valley in California is famed for its robust Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Spain's Rioja offers superb Tempranillo-based wines, and Australia's Barossa Valley is known for its bold Shiraz.
The world of red wine has several stars. Cabernet Sauvignon, known for its deep color and complexity, is globally recognized. Pinot Noir, with its delicate flavors and versatility, has a vast following. Merlot, Shiraz (or Syrah, depending on the region), and Zinfandel also hold significant positions in the market. Popular brands range from Bordeaux's Château Margaux, Burgundy's Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, to Napa's Opus One and Australia's Penfolds.
For those seeking excellent value, regions like Chile's Central Valley and Spain's La Mancha offer top-quality red wines at very accessible prices. Malbec from Argentina, particularly from the Mendoza region, consistently over-delivers in terms of quality to price ratio. South Africa's Western Cape and parts of southern Italy, like Puglia, are also treasure troves for value-driven, quality red wines.
Red wines, with their robust flavors and tannic structure, pair wonderfully with red meats. Think of a juicy steak with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or lamb chops with a Shiraz. Pinot Noir, being more delicate, pairs brilliantly with dishes like roasted chicken, duck, or salmon. Spaghetti Bolognese and other tomato-based pasta dishes go hand in hand with Italian reds like Chianti. For spicy barbecued dishes, a fruity Zinfandel or Grenache can be a match made in heaven. The key is to match the wine's intensity and flavors with those of the dish for a harmonious pairing.
We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
Delivery Times
To be able to supply such a unique & extensive range of boutique wines, we don't hold much of the inventory. So with us, there is the added step of receiving the wine from our local suppliers before it is dispatched to you. Most orders are dispatched within 3-6 working days.
Quality Guarantee
Replacement or refund offered if bottles are faulty or damaged. All our deliveries are insured against loss, however you must notify us in a reasonable amount of time.
Sending a Gift
If you would like to include a gift message with your order, please enter that in the order instructions section. We'll print your message in a lovely font on A5 paper. We also won't include the invoice. Tracking will be sent to the email on file.
We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
To be able to supply such a unique & extensive range of boutique wines, we don't hold much of the inventory. So with us, there is the added step of receiving the wine from our local suppliers before it is dispatched to you. Most orders are dispatched within 3-6 working days.
Replacement or refund offered if bottles are faulty or damaged. All our deliveries are insured against loss, however you must notify us in a reasonable amount of time.
If you would like to include a gift message with your order, please enter that in the order instructions section. We'll print your message in a lovely font on A5 paper. We also won't include the invoice. Tracking will be sent to the email on file.