For the Old and the Beautiful try... The Vault List ...

Wines leaving Australia are subject to tax rebates and our normal discounts, these equate to approx. 25% off the price listed.

1999 Irvine Grand Merlot 6 Litres $1000.00 "Merlot specialist James Irvine fashions this lavishly oaked effort from Eden Valley fruit. Aged 33 months in French oak, it offers up a seductive, toasty perfume displaying scents of ripe berry fruit, herbs, and coffee. Copious fruit as well as wood result in loads of toast and vanilla characteristics in this full-throttle, opulent, bigger than life Merlot. Consume it over the next 6-7 years." Robert Parker. Wine Advocate #155. October 2004. 90 Points Considering the size of this bottle it won't be ready to drink until 2050! For other large formats contact WineKnows

WENDOUREE are regarded as one of those slightly excentric wineries, they make great wine but to try and track some down can be very difficult (that's where we come in!). The wines are not for the faint hearted, they have power and really need to be cellared for a few years or if you can track some older vintages down....oh, thats where we come in AGAIN! Click for the List!

James Halliday.......
"The iron fist in a velvet glove best describes these extraordinary wines. They are fashioned with passion and precision from the very old vineyard with its unique terroir by Tony and Lita Brady, who rightly see themselves as custodians of a priceless treasure. The 100-year-old stone winery is virtually unchanged from the day it was built; this is in every sense a treasure beyond price. Even though I doubted the wisdom of providing tasting notes for current or immediate past releases, I did not wish Wendouree to slip into the obscurity of NR rating. I could barely believe the beauty of the wines, the '02 and '04 already at the point of which it is not vinicide to open them."

All the notes below are from Langtons Wine Auctions. Classifications of Australian wines
 

WENDOUREE Shiraz Tony and Lita Brady’s spectacularly individual Wendouree Shiraz has remained true to its origins since Alfred Percy Birks planted vines in 1893. It is considered by many as one of Australia’s greatest Shirazes. The vineyard is tiny, with low-yielding, beautifully formed old vines, many from the original plantings. Low input viticulture, laissez faire winemaking and maturation in about 1/3 new oak allows the wine to speak of place. These are dense, strongly flavoured wines with beautifully intense varietal fruit, massive concentration and a hallmark muscular sinewy tannin structure. The overall mass of fruit sweetness complements the toughness of the wine. Wendouree Shiraz will age for a long period of time maintaining prominent tannin structures but evolving further complexity and interest. Top Vintages: 2002, 1998, 1991, 1994, 1990, 1989, 1986

WENDOUREE Cabernet Sauvignon Wendouree Cabernet Sauvignon derives from the cool central and western areas of the historic Wendouree vineyard. The cooler central block with its smaller berries is known for its “spicy characters and very firm almost astringent tannins”. The western side brings “floral” notes and a softer structure. Consultant winemaker Stephen George – together with Lita and Tony Brady – make a wine that profoundly articulates the individual character of this unique and important vineyard site. After vinification in open fermenters, the wine completes fermentation and remains in stainless steel until November before maturation in new (about 25%) and used French oak for 12 months. This is a very muscular cellaring style with dark chocolate mint fruit characters and fine sinewy tannins. Top Vintages: 2002, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1986

WENDOUREE Shiraz-Malbec Wendouree Shiraz-Malbec, with plenty of blackberry/plum/mulberry and menthol-like fruit, fine, rusty, almost unyielding tannins, is a strong, firm “maturation style” wine with plenty of lasting power. The Shiraz component derives from the same vineyard plots, including bush vine material. Parcels of very old vine Malbec bring further distinctiveness. The wine, like all other blends in the Wendouree stable, is never more than 4500 litres in production. The wine is vinified in open fermenters and matured for 12 months new and used French oak. Vigneron Tony Brady believes the old vines get to “seed maturity at lower Baume levels”. This is a house style that is true to its origins and heritage. Top Vintages: 2002, 1998, 1991, 1994, 1990, 1989, 1986

WENDOUREE Cabernet Malbec This mature dry grown vineyard with substantial plantings of century old vines lies on well draining red-brown chocolaty loams over shale. Yields are minute with very high concentration and seed content. This partly explains the “particularity” of the Wendouree style. The quality of the fruit is outstanding with incredible sugar/acidity/flavour balance. In many respects the Cabernet Malbec is an old fashioned wine, yet it articulates vineyard character and maintains an unbroken continuity of style rarely found on the contemporary wine scene. The Malbec component – which derives from four blocks planted between 1898 and 1960 – provides complexity and interest. This is a profoundly individual wine with intense bright fruit, underlying maturation notes and firm but pronounced vice-like tannins structures.

WENDOUREE Shiraz-Mataro Wendouree Shiraz Mataro with its deep colour, core of blackberry liquorice fruit and iron fisted tannins belongs to a stable of wines which profoundly articulate vineyard character, regional provenance, the personalities of winemakers present and traditional winemaking practice. The Shiraz comes from the oldest dry grown vineyard plantings. The fruit is generally “bigger berried and medium bodied” compared to other blocks. However the particularity of house style remains a constant due to the high skin to juice ratio and the exceptionally high seed content in the fruit (especially Shiraz). The wine is matured in new (20%) and used Seguin Moreau oak for 12 months. Consultant winemaker Stephen George plays ‘devil’s advocate’ through the critical period of assemblage and bottling. Top Vintages: 2002, 1998, 1991, 1994, 1990, 1989, 1986

Download Order Form

You must be over 18 years of age to order from this site
It is an offence to order and/or supply persons under 18 years of age
WineKnows Australia ABN 11 405 775 773.
Liquor Licence # 51401893