Buy Wine

98 Points - James Suckling "Beautiful nose with cocoa powder, exotic flowers, candied violets and loads of dark berries. Great aromatic complexity. Amazing texture on palate with a superb precision and silky tannins. So beautifully composed showing already great harmony. Difficult to wait! Better in 2018."

*Available for delivery Early September 2022*

3 x Stella Bella Serie Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

99 Points - The Real Review “Deep ruby-red core into a bright purple rim. The nose lifts with blueberry and cassis, underscored by a hint of cigar box and wakame. Power with poise, the fruit is perfectly-ripe black and blue berries, layered amongst this is a line of umami salinity and a softening spice and cedar-wood element from thoughtful oak use. The tannins are fine and supple on entry, building their presence as the wine’s power builds in synchronicity. That intensity and flow carries it long to the finish, which when it eventually arrives is a clean and perfumed delight. This is very close to perfection.”

3 x Stella Bella Serie Luminosa Chardonnay 2020 

98 Points - James Halliday "Wild fermented in French barriques; neither fined nor filtered. A very complex wine of immediate power, with a deliberately funky bouquet, then changing tack with the glorious purity and focus of the palate, white peach, grapefruit and cashew/almond combining in a single stream of joy."

*Available for delivery Early September 2022*

98 Points - James Halliday "Wild fermented in French barriques; neither fined nor filtered. A very complex wine of immediate power, with a deliberately funky bouquet, then changing tack with the glorious purity and focus of the palate, white peach, grapefruit and cashew/almond combining in a single stream of joy."

Distinctly Southern Margaret River and uniquely Luminosa. Farmed from a single vineyard located in the Boodjidup Valley, each vine is curated & nurtured with an attention to detail that embraces our pristine natural environment. Gently handled to enhance the explosive yet elegant individuality and flavours that can only be Luminosa.

98 Points - James Halliday "Citrus and passionfruit blossom soar as you swirl the glass, and the palate achieves the seemingly impossible with the volume of turbo-charged fruit. It reaches every receptor in the mouth and there's no hint of added acidity, the balance and length faultless."

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “This is right up my street so far as Sauvignon Blanc goes. A distinct personality and shows Sauvignon Blanc in the finest of forms. I selected Zalto’s Bordeaux glass as I wanted immediate aeration (Universal is perfectly fine). The bouquet delivers an immediate impact of struck match, smoked minerals along with blackcurrant leaf. Wait for a few minutes for the yellow stone fruits, lime zest, lemongrass, kaffir leaf, fresh, green pepper and wafts of sea spray to develop. A tropical element sits in the background and will come to the fore with more bottle age – Passionfruit and fresh ginger juice being the most obvious. The palate delivers outstanding levels of complexity along with layer-upon-layer of character which most Sauvignon Blancs can only dream of. Kudos to Matt and Sophie. Scintillating freshness combined with deep, textural perfection – wonderful mouthfeel which covers every facet. Savour the yellow stone fruit infused with a smoky mineral wash – the epically long, salty finish is incredible. Wonderful, serious and certainly one of Australasia’s best available examples. Fantastic. Drink now to 2027.” 

18 Points - Julia Harding MW | JancisRobinson.com “If the Holdaway Sauvignon was all about the fruit, with a little bit of winemaking, this is more about the winemaking but could not be built like this without that same fruit quality and intensity – as it opens there’s blackcurrant leaf and an almost hidden note of tropical fruit and richness. Marked struck-match, smoky, cordite first impression, but not excessive unless you don’t like this style. This is bold, fresh, with the start of some cedary development of bottle age. On the palate, the texture is rounded and deep, filling the mouth but still incredibly fresh. Long, mouth-watering, salty finish, and a promise of more bottle-aged complexity to come. Delicious now but no rush. Classy, complex, distinctive. For lovers of Sauvignon in the style of Dogpoint Section 94."

97+ - 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Parallels have already been drawn to Coche Dury which are unmistakable as are similarities to Domaine Leflaive. The bouquet fascinates – smoky popcorn, toasted nuts, hay, milk, a fresh rasp of nutmeg and saline – super savoury with the faintest lemon twang on the end. Fascinatingly complex and a wine I could sniff for hours.  The palate is beautifully detailed and fine boned. I love the texture – silky and caressing. Power juxtaposed with finesse. This is immensely satisfying whilst raising questions of intrigue. Wonderfully complex albeit in a nonchalant way. Drink now (do not overchill) to 2030. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

18 Points - Julia Harding MW | JancisRobinson.com "Seductive and well-judged ‘reductive’ (smoky, struck-match) aroma and really toasty as it opens up, something cedary. Very Coche Dury but, most importantly, there is the fruit intensity to carry off this winemaking style. Nutty, creamy, mealy citrus. So many things going on that it makes you slow down to try to enjoy all this complexity. Deep, deliciously fresh and incredibly persistent with an aftertaste of savoury/mineral citrus. Worth every penny of its NZ price of $45 (from the producer's website). Classy and got better and better over the few days post opening."

Seventh Son Grenache Shiraz is quite a different wine for Mitolo and a commitment to the McLaren Vale region and its most revered varieties. The Grenache portion, sourced from old bush vines off the sands of Blewitt Springs, provides rustic, lighter, earthier flavours than the fruit forward, softer Shiraz portion sourced from the Lopresti vineyards. When blended together though these opposites provide a great foil for each other, creating a complex and intriguing wine. There is no new oak influence in this wine, with older oak barrels chosen for the èlevage. The tannins are sandy, almost gritty, helped along by the tiny dollop of Sagrantino, a little Italian twist on a classic blend from southern France and McLaren Vale. This is a wine made more in the earthy style of the wines of Mitolos European heritage, yet still speaks loudly of place, McLaren vale, with its generosity and purity.

Serpico, the flagship Mitolo Cabernet, is made using the Amarone technique of drying grapes before fermentation. This process concentrates flavour contributing mid palate plushness, complexity and mouth coating yet silky tannins. It’s a unique wine that is rich and structured yet has the balance of elements crucial to the Mitolo style. Fruit for Serpico comes from the Lopresti vineyard, and more specifically the Chinese Block, which is located at the southern end of McLaren Vale about 3km east of the coastal town of Port Willunga. The Cabernet in this vineyard is planted on black Biscay clay which along with the ideal Mediterranean climate produces wines of concentrated varietal character.

96 Points - Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot “You’d think they were crazy making an Amarone style from cabernet sauvignon. Amarone is one of Italy’s greatest wines made from dried grapes which concentrate the flavours and tannins to create long lived wines. This is a gorgeous wine, and my pick of the current new releases, which packs a serious punch. The colour is deep suggesting a big dense style but the wine is surprisingly light on its feet. Sweet, pure and vibrant blackcurrant fruits are tempered by dried herbs with some sweeter blackberry underneath. Oak is there too but sits in the background. This then leads to a bold and explosive palate full of power and energy – fruit pastille flavours are supported by fine acidity that is all underpinned by significant but well handled tannins. It is soooooo long too with the fruit concentration holding that flavour for minutes. A delicious wine stacked full of personality that is hard to put down.”

96 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit “The wine shows stunning fruit purity as well as seductive complexity with cassis, sweet plum, tobacco and spicy oak characters. It’s impressively concentrated and persistent, displaying awesome power brilliantly structured by loads of fine tannins. Multi-layered and graceful. At its best: 2024 to 2039.”

The Style: Angela is a slightly different expression of Shiraz which is sourced from Sandra’s block, located about 5km south of the Chinese Block we use for our G.A.M. Shiraz. We have always used grapes from Sandra’s block as a blending component in our Jester Shiraz but as this vineyard has matured, it has shown its potential to stand alone as a single vineyard wine. We have always loved the slightly brighter fruit profile and complete structure that we get from Sandra’s block. It has the ideal power and weight to sit between our Jester Shiraz and premium G.A.M. Shiraz. Angela is lifted with pure, ripe berry flavours at the forefront and subtle oak, allowing the fruit flavours to shine.

95 Points, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit “Fabulously ripe and offering excellent fruit purity, the wine shows perfumed aromas of black/blueberry, violet, dark cocoa and roasted nut on the nose with a hint of spicy overtone. The palate displays superb concentration and richly textured mouthfeel, wonderfully supported by fleshy texture and velvety tannins, making it delectably satisfying.”

Stuart McCloskey “In two words - Cooling and soothing best describes the bouquet along with dried tea leaves, graphite, kelp, saddle leather, Indian ink, plum and spiced black fruits. I detect a little waft of iodine too. To me, simply lovely and I am very happy. Everything about the ’16 is modest and effortless. It’s one of those wines which makes you want to light the fire and open a good book. The palate flows to the same soulful and pleasing tune. Filigree tannins provide the faintest hug of grip. No, it’s not overly complex, yet there is no disappointment. The fruit is generous, edged with sweetness with a little woodsmoke – a rounded lusciousness with a lift of minty freshness. Blackberry, brambly / hedgerow fruit, violet, tobacco, mint and cedar. From start to finish, this flows with absolute enjoyment and so much prettiness. It’s faultless. Focus on the tasting note and not the lack of a score (it’s an in-house test!). Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Decant for an hour or so. Drinking now to 2028.”

97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Put this in a blind tasting and tell me it’s almost ten-years of age - astonishing. Moreover, this kills off the argument that New World Sauvignon Blanc cannot age well. Of course, the caveat being that it must be ‘very good’ in the first instance, which this is. The freshness and vitality is extraordinary – I am genuinely bowled over. The bouquet expands with nettle, passionfruit, baked apricot, blackcurrant leaf, fennel seed, fennel throngs (essentially anise-like fresh herbs), lemon grass, freshly grated lemon zest (almost sorbet like freshness to the lemon), a little ginger and fresh Thai spices. Spiced, poached pear and guava if you leave a drop in the glass for a minute or two. Simply delectable and would serve as a dream pudding. The flavours are mouth filling and range from ripe stone-fruit and spice. Lemon drives the citrus with a soupçon of lime and fresh herbs. The wine’s structure remains firm and completely intact – there’s nothing blowsy about this. Wonderfully clean and moreish. Set aside your prejudice for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - This is an example of great winemaking and most importantly, a delicious wine. This is an emphatic, mature release. The wine was bottled in November 2014 and cellared at the winery prior to its release. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drink now to 2025.”

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

Incredibly vibrant and expressive on the nose with layers of lemon flesh, lime juice, apples and grapefruit at the forefront. Elevated and lifted notes of lemon myrtle, sweet jasmine, kaffir lime leaf, coriander seed and sea spray promote the purity and clarity.

Lively and concentrated palate with focus and finesse. Cut lime and lemon zest meet with minerality and a tightly coiled acid structure. A saline thread is evident throughout with delicate and textural layers towards the crisp and talc-like finish.

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

Incredibly vibrant and expressive on the nose with layers of lemon flesh, lime juice, apples and grapefruit at the forefront. Elevated and lifted notes of lemon myrtle, sweet jasmine, kaffir lime leaf, coriander seed and sea spray promote the purity and clarity.

Lively and concentrated palate with focus and finesse. Cut lime and lemon zest meet with minerality and a tightly coiled acid structure. A saline thread is evident throughout with delicate and textural layers towards the crisp and talc-like finish.

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

17.5 Points - Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com "This smells so good: fresh black pepper (so fresh it’s like peppercorns straight from the drying mats). Deep, delicious, meaty sweet fruit. Violets, daphne with a blue-purple-fruited lusciousness and yet the wine is, at the same time, dry and savoury. Grounded yet ethereal. Determined yet open. Muscled tight yet fluid. Extraordinary ying-yang balance of opposite but complementary forces."

96 points - Ray Jordan, The West Australian "A 20 per cent inclusion of whole bunch fermentation has played a strong hand in elevating this beautiful example of the quality of the 2019 vintage. It has such life and vibrancy and that is largely due to that whole bunch inclusion. Brilliant, bright colour with hues of crimson and purple on the fringes. The palate is in that medium zone, with an effortlessly graceful ease about it. Spicy and perfumed with a mix of cherry and plum. Oak, which is a mix of one, two and new oaks, is brilliantly managed to gently coax all that is good from this variety. Love the mouth feel and the long, focused chalky feel in the mouth."

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

17.5 Points - Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com "This smells so good: fresh black pepper (so fresh it’s like peppercorns straight from the drying mats). Deep, delicious, meaty sweet fruit. Violets, daphne with a blue-purple-fruited lusciousness and yet the wine is, at the same time, dry and savoury. Grounded yet ethereal. Determined yet open. Muscled tight yet fluid. Extraordinary ying-yang balance of opposite but complementary forces."

96 points - Ray Jordan, The West Australian "A 20 per cent inclusion of whole bunch fermentation has played a strong hand in elevating this beautiful example of the quality of the 2019 vintage. It has such life and vibrancy and that is largely due to that whole bunch inclusion. Brilliant, bright colour with hues of crimson and purple on the fringes. The palate is in that medium zone, with an effortlessly graceful ease about it. Spicy and perfumed with a mix of cherry and plum. Oak, which is a mix of one, two and new oaks, is brilliantly managed to gently coax all that is good from this variety. Love the mouth feel and the long, focused chalky feel in the mouth."

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal "Deep crimson. Classical blackcurrant cedar aromas with lifted espresso, roasted chestnut notes. Inky deep and beautifully concentrated wine with dense blackcurrant, dark plum, dark chocolate flavours, fine grainy/chocolatey tannins and perfectly integrated cedar oak. A superb grainy firm finish and mineral length. A great Leeuwin Estate Cabernet."

17.5 Points - Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com "Truly elegant in every way. One sip of this wine and I can feel its beauty. It has a pure-fruited translucency and the whisper of pine needles, a mint-cold freshness, tannins reaching long, tenacious, slender from top to bottom, embedded through the fruit. A wine with a sweet heart, taut purpose, exquisitely formed clarity."

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal "Deep crimson. Classical blackcurrant cedar aromas with lifted espresso, roasted chestnut notes. Inky deep and beautifully concentrated wine with dense blackcurrant, dark plum, dark chocolate flavours, fine grainy/chocolatey tannins and perfectly integrated cedar oak. A superb grainy firm finish and mineral length. A great Leeuwin Estate Cabernet."

17.5 Points - Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com "Truly elegant in every way. One sip of this wine and I can feel its beauty. It has a pure-fruited translucency and the whisper of pine needles, a mint-cold freshness, tannins reaching long, tenacious, slender from top to bottom, embedded through the fruit. A wine with a sweet heart, taut purpose, exquisitely formed clarity."

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

99 points - Ray Jordan, WinePilot.com "In many ways the most Burgundian of any of the Leeuwin releases, this will rank up there with the best to date. There’s a waxy light mealy aroma which picks up nuances of limestone and spice with a trace of grapefruit. But it is the palate that really distinguishes it. There is an austerity with the minerally chalky feel that cuts through the fruit extending to a finish of extraordinary length. Precision and focus harness a wine of great power and poise before dry savoury edges lift the finish.”

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022 99 points - Ray Jordan, WinePilot.com "In many ways the most Burgundian of any of the Leeuwin releases, this will rank up there with the best to date. There’s a waxy light mealy aroma which picks up nuances of limestone and spice with a trace of grapefruit. But it is the palate that really distinguishes it. There is an austerity with the minerally chalky feel that cuts through the fruit extending to a finish of extraordinary length. Precision and focus harness a wine of great power and poise before dry savoury edges lift the finish.”

Available as a strictly limited duo, the 2019 and 2020 vintages of Standish Lamella.

These will be delivered end May/early June upon arrival of the 2020 Standish Collection.

2019 - 99-100 Points Stuart McCloskey "This is monolithic in stature, but the wine’s symmetry is masterful – the breadth, depth and length all categorised as incredible. It’s one of those rare wines which leaves you in amazement."  

2020 - 98-100 Points - Stuart McCloskey "Texturally, Lamella is one of those wines that delivers immediate impact, the quality indisputable. The complexity and animation of this wine is simply jaw-dropping." 

Stuart McCloskey "The Majella sparkling Shiraz has a lovely mousse / palate feel and sings loud and proud. The base wine is matured in 2nd and 3rd use French oak hogsheads for 5 months before secondary fermentation. The wine is on “lees” for 12 months and using méthode traditionnelle, the bottles are hand riddled, then disgorged with a small dash of vintage port."

Dave Phinney "Bright violet in the glass, the 2020 8 Years in the Desert is the epitome of our style, the reason we are even here in the first place. As it’s being poured, the aromatics hit squarely on the nose with a perception of sweetness: pure brambly raspberry juice and blueberry preserves with a hint of white pepper and High Sierra forest floor. Yet, the perceived sweetness on the nose is just that, perceived, and doesn’t carry through to the palate. Lush and enveloping with a beam of acidity, notes of blackberry pie, plum and kirsch flourish. Ultra-round tannins and lingering raspberry, the wine finishes in slow-motion."

Dave Phinney "Bright violet in the glass, the 2020 8 Years in the Desert is the epitome of our style, the reason we are even here in the first place. As it’s being poured, the aromatics hit squarely on the nose with a perception of sweetness: pure brambly raspberry juice and blueberry preserves with a hint of white pepper and High Sierra forest floor. Yet, the perceived sweetness on the nose is just that, perceived, and doesn’t carry through to the palate. Lush and enveloping with a beam of acidity, notes of blackberry pie, plum and kirsch flourish. Ultra-round tannins and lingering raspberry, the wine finishes in slow-motion."

Stuart McCloskey “This is a style of Chardonnay that makes friends with those seeking a weighty expression of the varietal, yet it tempers with wonderful seduction. The bouquet unfurls to brine, stone fruits, quince, honeysuckle, ripe apricot, crisp apple, quartz, confit lemon and a gentle waft of oak. The palate enjoys a creamy opulence whilst at its core, acidity provides vim and vigour. It opens beautifully and gains stature with a little aeration.  I opted for Zalto’s Burgundy glass which worked a treat – for best results, ensure you use a large bottomed glass and do not overchill. This is full of energy and provides bucketloads of deliciousness - A wine that quenches the soul. Yes, it’s a fuller style however, everything is measured and perfectly controlled which will assist cellaring (5-8 years). The flavours linger – oh do they linger as they take five-or-so-minutes before they disappear into the distance, which is mighty impressive. This is a wine of immense beauty…”

The fruit is sourced from two vineyards in Hawke's Bay, 20-year-old Clone 15 and 95 vines that are dry farmed on a silty loam over gravel with some limestone influence, and old Mendoza vines grown on river terrace soil, light loam over gravel.