 Bulletins The new Torbreck collection has arrived at our HQ and bonded warehouse… Under Bond Orders: Once receipted by LCB – we will commence transferring the wines to your Vinorium reserve or nominated bonded account. Duty Paid Orders: Your orders will be dispatched Thursday 22 January for arrival on the Friday. Please make contact if this delivery date is not suitable. Have you moved address since placing your order? Again, please kindly contact the team with your new details. My EVOO has solidified… Olive oil, like other fats, has a certain point at which it changes from a liquid to a solid. Our HQ warehouse temperature is always cool and ‘cooler’ when the external, winter temperature falls to freezing and below. Cloudiness or partial solidification of EVOO is not a sign of damage. Higher-quality, extra virgin olive oil is typically less processed and contains more of the natural fatty acids that contribute to its cloudiness when cooled. Keeping EVOO in the dark and cool is imperative… To thaw-out the blobs / cloudiness: Simply, and gently, bring your bottle up to room temperature. Do not heat! We are so thrilled to welcome back Tassie producer, Ghost Rock. We all loved their first introduction however, and being candid, their pricing for order #2 was daft. Whatever the reason, owner Justin, wanted to get his wines back on our shelves, and understood the ‘economical warning.’ As with our introductory offer (December 2020), the entire collection overdelivers on quality and value. In fact, and as time has passed, they are better. The entire collection is creative, delicious, filled with imagination and the single estate Pinots are all a serious proposition – they display nuance, balance, and a connection to Tasmania (Pinot Noir is sensitive to where it’s grown). Both fizzes sampled better than mid-level (priced) House of Arras… Stu will provide his full notes during the coming weeks. In the meantime, enjoy the detail from Justin as he knows best…  It has been five years since we first launched Justin's Ghost Rock wines in the UK. We asked him to update us on life in Tasmania, his 20 year journey with Ghost Rock and his plans for the future... This year marks 20 years of Ghost Rock wines. Huge congratulations on this wonderful milestone! Can you share some of the most memorable highlights? Thank you! It’s been a hell of a ride. It’s quite remarkable how quickly 20 years goes by when you’re so focused on creating a vision – and so focused on the incremental deliverables of that vision each day. It really feels like a blink in many regards. And whilst the Trophies, Gold Medals, and 5 Star Ratings are wonderful things to have collected along the way (and are certainly sitting in the highlights reel) it’s the creation of a sophisticated, talent-rich business that’s probably the most memorable part for me. All in a location that was never really meant to amount to much! Building a success story against that backdrop has been such a continuing highlight. And to follow these, what have been the tough parts of your journey and what lessons did these teach you? The toughest lesson of all is patience. Nothing happens quickly – and never has that been truer than in wine. The phrase ‘an overnight success 20 years in the making’ must have been penned by someone in the wine industry. I can’t imagine an industry more suited to the phrase. Other lessons have been that your business is only as good as its people. And that your wine is as only as good as your vineyards. Us winemakers are important, but not most important. It has also been five years since we launched your wines in the UK. What have the past five years brought to Ghost Rock? And how do you see the business developing during these turbulent times? Gosh. What hasn’t the last 5 years brought?! Our Supernatural Range has certainly exploded in that time, as has our work with our Single Vineyard Series. These 2 Ranges, in combination with our quintessential Estate Range, allow us to offer wine consumers a deeper, more immersive experience. Each Range tells of a philosophical story. I think being able to hold that engagement with wine consumers, through your wines, is what will hold us in good stead. We are huge fans of the tiny 1% of Australian wine which is currently produced in Tasmania. How would you describe the wine landscape on the Apple Isle and what would you predict for the future of Tassie wine? It’s as dynamic and high performing as it’s ever been. And as diverse as it’s ever been. The proliferation of small, boutique wineries over the last 5 – 10 years has created a hot-bed of distinctive, compelling, and ultimately, outstanding wines. These wineries are often family run, or independently run, and are hell-bent on driving the highest possible quality out of their vineyards. And this can only be a good thing. I won’t predict the future, but I will say this, Tasmania’s potential over the next 5 – 20 years is greater than any other wine region in Australia. That’s quite an opportunity in front of us. You also run an eatery alongside your winery. How would you describe the food scene in Tasmania and what are your personal regional favourites? The food scene in Tasmania has exploded. Hobart’s abuzz with venues and the north of the state isn’t far behind. Given the extraordinary quality of local produce in every pocket of Tasmania, and the boom in both domestic and international tourism, it was only a matter of time before the food scene lit up. In the north of the state, my favourites would be Stillwater, and well, us! Am I allowed to say that? I am very, very biased, but our chefs continue to knock-out some outstanding dishes across all the realms, including dessert! We’re very proud of the lunchtime reputation we’ve built for ourselves. Down south, take your pick! Sonny, The Agrarian Kitchen and Bar Wa are definitely at the top of the tree. Have you had any recent stand-out dining experiences that you would recommend to visitors? The Winter Feast is a real must. Dark Mofo is Tasmania’s winter festival held every June. It’s run by the Mona Museum team who put on an incredible event every year. Winter Feast is the food and wine component of the festival, held on Hobart’s iconic waterfront. Incredible line-up of producers and guest chefs all in the one place. How was the 2024 Pinot Noir vintage at Ghost Rock? We have five different examples of your Pinot Noir heading for the UK, how would you describe each one and their differences? 2024 was our earliest vintage on record. Now, that statement coming from an Australian winemaker might typically be cause for concern, but when it’s coming from a winemaker in northern Tasmania, it’s quite the opposite. For us, it meant fruit came off the vine quite idyllically throughout the back half of March and early April. It meant that fruit hit ideal ripeness before we needed to navigate the autumn rains, and that flavour really found its concentration point via those (relatively) warm and dry days. The 2024 Vintage was one our very best. Aromatics are high, concentration is high, deliciousness is high! Right! Here goes on the 5 Pinot Noirs you have available to the Vinorium audience: 2024 Supernatural Pinot Noir 2024 Estate Pinot Noir 2024 La Filles Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 Oulton Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 Climat Organic Pinot Noir Price to quality ratio - Your Catherine Sparkling wine blew us away earlier this year, and we’ve taken all the stock offered. You believe this to be the best you have made so far… Why? and here’s a tough question – how can you craft such a delicious fizz for such a respectable sum of money? Such kind words – thank you gang! I think our vineyards are ‘natures’ when it comes to growing great sparkling fruit. And whilst this is true for Tasmania generally, it’s particularly true for us up here on Bass Straight, where we experience some of the mildest summers (generally) on the island. The fruit just finds that elegance and finesse which makes our jobs that little bit easier. We also prioritize the appropriate amount of time on lees for our sparkling wines, which is hugely important. And we tend Catherine toward Chardonnay dominance also, which lifts the level of sophistication nicely. And because we do everything inhouse (grow, bottle, disgorge) it allows us to keep her pricing attainable for most. We’re hugely excited by the potential of Catherine moving forward. The ’22 Catherine isn’t far away, but let’s enjoy what’s left of the ’21 Catherine first! How would you describe your style of winemaking? Are you creating the kind of wines you love to drink yourself? Only and always. If we don’t love drinking our wines, love talking about our wines, love sharing our wines, love showing off our wines, then what’s the point really? As you can see, I genuinely love our wines. And the people who grow them, the people who make them, the people who sell them. Stylistically, we want all our wines to be expressive and generous. Lots of personality in the glass. Lots of evolution throughout the bottle. Lots of conversation in the room. Handing yourself over to Mother Nature each year and just hoping she’ll be kind. Do you have a winemaking hero? Not particularly. There are people in the industry who have helped us immensely, and who I will be eternally indebted to, but I personally find my heroes mostly out of the industry. Andrew Pirrie and Gerald Ellis are probably the exceptions. Both Tasmanian icons. In your opinion, who are the Aussie winemakers to keep an eye on? I’m obviously biased, so here come the Tasmanians! Ricky Evans (Two Tonne) obviously. Luke Andreas (Sonnen) is doing cool things. Our Winemaker, Sierra Blair, has her own little label (Zymo) which is doing great things. Mattias Utzinger is also growing some terrific fruit – big future ahead for him. Quick Fire Questions Australia, France, or Italy? France Cocktails or straight sippin’ spirits? Negroni please. Mixologist or mix-it-at-home? Mixologist Aperitif preference? There’s something before Champagne..?? Fine dining or cook at home? Good dining. Perfect drinking occasion? The beer you have pre-departure, for an international holiday, is the greatest beer you’ll ever have.. Desert island treat? Ice-cream for breakfast If you could only choose one varietal to work with? The easiest question of the day! The reason Tasmania exists – Pinot Noir. “A beautifully lifted and ethereal bouquet, showcasing light red fruits—fresh strawberry and dried cranberry—framed by an alluring wildness.”  2024 Ghost Rock Climat Pinot Noir Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “The energy levels on this wine are high. Wonderful drive and focus. Such a thoughtful and provocative wine here. Feels so unique in the glass.” Bouquet: Palate: Vintage: Winemaking: Viticulture: £35.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £180.60 – Only £30.10 per bottle Also available under bond @ £130.75 per case (6x75cl) “A Pinot for those who love depth and drive in equal measure.”  2024 Ghost Rock La Filles Pinot Noir Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “A thing of aromatic beauty. So seductive and pure. Just wow every time for us. Silky, silky, silky.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £35.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £180.60 – Only £30.10 per bottle Also available under bond @ £130.75 per case (6x75cl) “There's a gentle tension here—elegant, expressive, and savoury. A wine for the pinophiles, no doubt.”  2024 Ghost Rock Oulton Pinot Noir Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “The Burgundy of our portfolio. She’s covered by bramble, forest, spice and clover. And a textural hero in our cluster.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £35.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £180.60 – Only £30.10 per bottle Also available under bond @ £130.75 per case (6x75cl) “A beautifully energetic and fresh style for such a warm year.”  2024 Ghost Rock Estate Pinot Noir Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “The iconic Tasmanian style. Sophisticated, elegant, concentrated. Old-vine wonder at its very best here.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £25.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £135.00 – Only £22.50 per bottle Also available under bond @ £186.50 per case (12x75cl)  2024 Ghost Rock Supernatural Pinot Noir Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “So popular. Fresh, juicy, textured. Full of fun. Unadulterated Pinot Noir right here.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £21.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £119.70 – Only £19.95 per bottle Also available under bond @ £162.30 per case (12x75cl) “The structure is balanced and seamless, making this a sparkling that’s both refined and highly drinkable.”  2023 Ghost Rock Zoe Brut Rosé Blend: Bouquet: Palate: Harvest date: Vintage: Winemaking: Viticulture: Bottling Date: 19 February 2025 £25.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £132.00 – Only £22.00 per bottle Also available under bond @ £93.40 per case (6x75cl) Last 16 bottles  2021 Ghost Rock Catherine Cuvee Exceptionelle Blend: Bouquet: Palate: Vintage: Winemaking: Viticulture: £32.50 per bottle Buy 6 for £165.75 – Only £27.63 per bottle  2023 Ghost Rock Estate Chardonnay Bouquet: Palate: Vintage: Winemaking: Viticulture: £25.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £132.00 – Only £22.00 per bottle Also available under bond @ £183.60 per case (12x75cl) “Juicy and moreish, with a fine texture and powerful persistence.”  2025 Ghost Rock Estate Riesling Bouquet: Palate: Vintage: Overall 2025 was the kind of vintage we dream about, warm days, cool nights and little to no rain during the ripening period. The resulting wines are showing a lovely balance and character consistent with the intense fruit and spice flavours that are a hallmark of our site. Winemaking: Viticulture: £18.50 per bottle Buy 6 for £102.12 – Only £17.02 per bottle Also available under bond @ £136.80 per case (12x75cl)   "What dreams are made of..." The 2014 Jimmy Watson Winner  "A special, freak of a wine that doesn’t cost a fortune. A perfect, ethereal wine that delivers magnitude with aplomb. I love it." Stuart McCloskey, tasted January 2026 "Dreams are made of this… I have spent two days with this bottle – every facet uncovered. No rushing – simply, a mesmerising experience. I stopped adding a score to wines a few years back. Everyone’s tastes are subjective, including the pros. I wonder if the critics announce their biases (and we all have them) – would they weaken the value of their scores. There isn’t a hair out of place. Textural perfection – such a sensual experience. Whether you add 100-points or not – to me, everything is perfect. There isn’t one, single flaw. From the first pour - the bouquet is extraordinary. Black raspberry explodes from the bottle. I have never experienced such a rich and voluptuous perfume (and it is not OTT). So pure. The essence of black fruit. Blackberry pastille, mulberry, violet, dark chocolate, mocha, intertwined with minerals and graphite. Espresso, spicy oak, leather, black olive, brine, and sage are more pronounced (day two). Classical proportions on the palate – perfectly balanced. The fruit is cooling, black and blue. There’s subtle sweetness, impressive density, incredible length (packed with minerals) – tannins are lacy and it finishes with velvet seduction… A special, freak of a wine that doesn’t cost a fortune. A perfect, ethereal wine that delivers magnitude with aplomb. I love it today and look forward to spending the next 10-20-years with it too. Set aside a Sunday and kick everyone out of the house. It will be one of the best days of 2026… Served using Zalto Burgundy stemware (I wanted to hold the perfume in). Not decanted…" £50.00 per bottle Also available under bond @ £110.50 per case 3x75cl The Jimmy Watson: Australia’s Most Coveted Wine Trophy Words by Clarence G. Kane In the annals of Australian wine, few names resonate with the same cultural and historical weight as James “Jimmy” Calexte Watson. To understand the significance of the trophy that bears his name, one must first understand the man - a publican, a connoisseur, and, above all, a pioneering educator who fundamentally altered his country’s relationship with wine. He was not merely a purveyor of drink but a cultural architect who laid the foundations for Australia’s modern, sophisticated wine culture. James Calexte Watson was born on October 18, 1903, in Carlton, Melbourne, a product of a heritage that perfectly positioned him to become a bridge between Old World wine traditions and a burgeoning Australian identity. His father, James Watson, was a Tasmanian-born coalminer, while his mother, Giselda, née Panelli, was Italian-born. This European maternal influence was profound, instilling in him an innate understanding of wine not as a mere intoxicant, but as an integral part of a meal and a civilized life - a concept largely foreign to the Australia of his time. His family was deeply enmeshed in Melbourne’s hospitality fabric, connected through a network of wine-bar and café owners that included the Denat, Virgona, and Massoni families. His middle name, Calexte, was a tribute to his uncle, Calexte Denat, a celebrated French-Swiss restaurateur whose Café Denat was a premier dining destination. This upbringing placed him at the heart of a tradition that valued quality food and wine, a stark contrast to the prevailing national palate. In 1935, Jimmy Watson purchased a wine saloon on Lygon Street, Carlton, a move that would cement his legacy. The Australia of the 1930s was overwhelmingly a nation of beer drinkers. Wine, when consumed at all by the general public, was often relegated to fortified styles like port and sweet sherry, frequently dismissed with the derogatory term “plonk”. Table wines were a niche interest, and wine bars were not seen as places of sophisticated enjoyment. Watson set out to change this perception. His license permitted him to sell only Australian wine, a restriction he turned into a virtue. He became a tireless champion of the local industry, embarking on a mission to educate his clientele and elevate the status of Australian table wine. His methods were both innovative and deeply personal. He would travel to Victorian wine regions, personally selecting hogsheads (large barrels of approximately 300 litres) of his preferred styles - dry whites and young reds to bring back to his bar. There, dressed in his signature leather apron, he would bottle the wines himself, often in front of customers, a piece of theatre that demystified the process. The hogsheads were marked with a roaring lion over a barrel, a symbol of quality that still adorns the house wine labels today. He went further than just selling wine; he cultivated a culture around it. Watson organized excursions to wineries, kept a cellar of aged vintages for discerning customers, and transformed his bar into a welcoming hub for international visitors, students, and locals alike. The character of the wine bar was a direct reflection of its proprietor. Watson was described as gregarious, humane, and democratically minded, yet he was also robust, quick-witted, and firmly in charge, with no tolerance for pretentiousness or drunkenness. His business acumen was matched by his generosity; he famously provided impoverished students with free meals, correctly reasoning that they would return as loyal, paying customers once they were established. Through his efforts, Jimmy Watson’s Wine Bar became a Melbourne institution, a place synonymous with “good food, good drink and good company”. He successfully transformed the image of the Australian wine bar and, in doing so, educated a generation of drinkers, weaning them off “plonk” and introducing them to the pleasures of table wine. Jimmy Watson suffered from diabetes for several years and died of a coronary occlusion on February 22, 1962. His funeral was a testament to his impact; several hundred people attended, and fellow Lygon Street traders lined the street in a final tribute. In the wake of his death, his friends, family, and loyal customers sought a fitting way to memorialize the man who had done so much to advance the Australian wine industry. Their collective desire to honor his legacy would give rise to the nation’s most famous and coveted wine award. The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy is more than just an award; it is a living monument, an annual reaffirmation of one man’s contribution to Australian wine. Its genesis, criteria, and ascent to unparalleled prestige are intertwined with the story of Jimmy Watson himself, creating a powerful narrative that elevates it above other accolades. It was born not from a committee’s decision but from a community’s grief and admiration, a factor that has imbued it with a unique emotional resonance and authority. The trophy was first awarded in 1962, the same year of Watson’s passing. The idea for its creation arose organically from conversations among his friends and patrons who wished to create a permanent tribute. Given Jimmy’s close relationship with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), which ran the annual Royal Melbourne Wine Show, the choice of venue was natural. Watson was a regular at the show, where he would purchase exhibited wines to cellar and sell at his Lygon Street bar, creating a direct link between the producers and his educated consumer base. A prize at this prestigious show was therefore seen as the most appropriate way to honor his dedication to Australian winemaking. Today, the award’s prestige is upheld by a rigorous and independent judging process. Each year, Melbourne Royal convenes a panel of Australia’s most respected palates - winemakers, Masters of Wine, sommeliers, educators, and distributors who assess thousands of entries through a series of blind tastings. To win the Jimmy Watson Trophy, a wine must not only be deemed the best in its class but must ultimately triumph over all other top young red contenders. This demanding, expert-led process ensures that the winner represents a benchmark of excellence for the entire industry. The combination of its authentic origin story, its direct connection to a beloved pioneer, the marketing power that propelled it to fame, and its credible judging process has created a perfect storm of prestige, making the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy the undisputed pinnacle of Australian wine awards. The ‘Jimmy Effect’: The Transformative Impact of a Trophy Win Winning the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy confers more than just a piece of silverware and industry bragging rights; it unleashes a powerful commercial and cultural phenomenon known as the “Jimmy Effect.” This effect is a multi-layered force that can redefine a winery’s trajectory, elevate the profile of an entire wine region, and provide profound personal validation for its creators. For decades, an old industry saying claimed that winning the ‘Jimmy’ was worth a million dollars to a business. In the contemporary era of digital communication, where news of the win is disseminated globally in seconds, that figure likely underestimates its true value. The most immediate and tangible impact is on sales and brand recognition. The trophy acts as an unparalleled consumer signal, creating a surge in demand that can be overwhelming, particularly for smaller producers. When Home Hill, a tiny Tasmanian winery, won in 2015 for its Kelly’s Reserve Pinot Noir, the wine sold out “in record time.” The winery awoke the morning after the awards dinner to an inbox “overflowing with orders”. Similarly, Glenn Goodall, Senior Winemaker at Xanadu Wines, described their 2018 win as “huge,” leading to a “massive profile boost for the winery” and an “immediate impact on sales and growth of our brand”. Andrew Quin of Hentley Farm, the 2022 winner, echoed this, noting that while the trophy results in “immediate sales, the biggest impact is on overall brand awareness and perception of quality”. The award places a winery at the forefront of consumers’ minds, creating a buzz that no marketing campaign can replicate. Regardless of the sales impact, the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy stands as more than just a prize. It is a symbol of the dynamic and ever-improving quality of Australian red wine, a driver of industry conversation, and a continuing testament to the spirit of its namesake - a man who believed in the great potential of an Australian bottle.  From the archives: Stephen Pannell and wife Fiona Lindquist collecting the hallowed Jimmy Watson memorial trophy. Stephen Pannell Flavour: “Aromas of cassis, fenugreek, charcuterie and tapenade are all consistent with nine years of bottle age. However, the surprise is in the abundance of fruit aromas: blackberry, blueberry and pomegranate followed by spices: Kampot pepper, red cedar and frankincense. Revealed with a little air is sea spray, petrichor, crushed rocks and roasted red capsicum. A viscous nose that wavers from black fruits to blue. The palate is more youthful than the nose with dark chocolate, clove, cinnamon, satsuma plum, lavender, rhubarb and preserved citrus.” Texture: “Pure silk on entry with tannins that yawn, stretch and unwind as they progress across the palate. The texture and flavours meld like a Chesterfield on a blue slate floor with a vibrancy that belies its age. The long finish delivers another round of flavours and texture wavering between earth, spice and dark fruit. Power with delicacy and proof that Shiraz belongs in Australia, especially in cooler climates.” Huon Hooke, 26 Oct 2023 "This just happens to be an outstanding wine, a Jimmy Watson Trophy winner, no less. At 10 years on, it is still a stunner, only a slightly different stunner to what it was in October 2014 when I first tasted it. Super-deep colour with some tawny and black tinges but also a trace of purple: remarkably youthful for its age. Ultra-complex bouquet of roasting meats, raisin-toast (with cinnamon!). In the mouth it's multi-layered and powerful, concentrated and intense, with great drive and persistence, and a profound depth of complex matured flavour. It still has many years ahead of it. A great wine for those who still think screwcaps compromise the aging of red wines."  |
