South Australia Wine

Producer Notes

Koonunga Hill is one of Penfolds’ most beloved and enduring wines — a benchmark for approachable, everyday Australian red. The Shiraz brings plenty of dark fruit while the Cabernet Sauvignon adds cool, lifted aromatics. Deep crimson with red brick hues, the nose reveals preserved plums, fresh mulberry, cherry compote, milk chocolate, baking spices, fresh bay leaf, white pepper, and licorice. The palate is succulent with refreshing acidity and subtle tannins. Ripe red fruits offer richness on the mid-palate, with dark cherry, pomegranate, and cranberry. A savory, umami edge adds complexity. Softly textured, medium-bodied, and very approachable.

Food Pairings

• Grilled steak, ribs, or lamb shanks
• Beef stew or shepherd’s pie
• Aged cheddar or blue cheese
• BBQ or hearty pasta dishes

Producer Notes

‘Mollydooker’ is old Aussie slang for a left-handed boxer — and The Boxer always punches well above his Fruit Weight™. (Did you notice he has two left-handed gloves?) The 2022 Boxer boasts a robust foundation of dark fruit, black cherries, mocha, and a hint of clove spice that comes alive in the glass. Its velvety texture delivers notes of fresh plum, balanced tannins, and a subtle touch of toasted oak — all enhancing the richness of the fruit. A complex, layered wine with multiple dimensions that are sure to impress.

Food Pairings

• BBQ ribs or grilled lamb chops
• Slow-braised beef brisket or pulled pork
• Aged cheddar or smoked gouda
• Hearty pasta or wood-fired pizza

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

The Australian Wine Companion 91 Points | Yalumba continues to grace us with a range of wines made from viognier, from entry-level to aspirational, that convey a deep understanding of both the variety and site. Pale straw with green flashes and aromas of lemon, grapefruit and apricot along with hints of lemon sorbet, wildflowers, a liminal whiff of white pepper and stone. Flecks of dried herbs join in on the palate, which is stony and savoury, lingering nicely as it fades away. A great introduction to the variety. 

James Suckling 91 Points | A fresh, juicy and precise viognier with aroma of peaches, apricots and fresh flowers. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Vivid and playful, with a refreshing finish.

Producer Description 

With 175 years of unbroken independence, Yalumba continues to make wine at its founder's home estate under the direction of the same family today. Samuel's Collection honors Yalumba's founder Samuel Smith, his spirit of independence and conviction to invest in the land and make great wine.

Pure aromas reminiscent of fresh apricots, lifted ginger, saffron and fresh white flowers. The palate is long, rich, and luscious, with intense and expressive stone fruit flavors finishing with an alluring freshness. This wine will continue to grow and develop in the bottle, firstly showing enhanced apricots and spice, then honey flavors and toast complexity.

Enjoy with a Moroccan tagine and couscous, or baba ghanoush.

Expert Review- Vintage 2023

Christina Pickard of the Wine Enthusiast writes 93 Points | Lime leaf, waxy citrus, white peach notes and a hint of honey open this Clare Valley Riesling. The combo of dryness, cheek-sucking, orange peel acidity and chalky texture makes for a somewhat austere wine solo, but pair with a creamy goat's cheese or seafood risotto and watch it shine. 

Producer Description 

Originally a pastoral run dating back to 1839, and originally named Wolta Wolta, Jim Barry purchased the land for The Lodge Hill Vineyard in 1977 as he was sure it would “produce some of the best Riesling in the Clare Valley.” Situated at 480 meters above sea level and situated on the Eastern Ranges of the Clare Valley, the grapes at our Lodge Hill Vineyard are exposed to concentrated bursts of sunlight and cool nights which encourage slower ripening. This helps deliver beautiful natural acidity and citrus characters that ripen early because of the small crop it produces. Gentle pressing and a rapid move into the fermentation allows the natural fruit flavors to be preserved.

Aromas of fresh lime, spice, citrus blossom, white peach, and nectarine skins open on the nose. In the mouth, the lime flavors take center stage commanding attention on entry. The fruit is fleshy with considerable weight and framed with a refreshing driving acid. A lot of wine!

Expert Review — Vintage 2017

James Suckling 96 Points | Released after seven years in bottle. Delicate yet complex aromas of finger limes, grapefruit, kerosene, sage oil, preserved lemons, gun smoke and salted nuts. The palate is high tension, with an intense concentration of flavors coiled around a textural palate and striking acidity. Made from vines planted in 1965 — this has years of life ahead. Excellent. Drink or hold.

About The Contours Museum Reserve

Pewsey Vale’s The Contours is their flagship museum-release Riesling, sourced from the coolest south-facing slope of the estate in the high-altitude Eden Valley, South Australia. The vines were planted in 1965, making them among the oldest Riesling plantings in the region.

What makes this wine special: Pewsey Vale holds it in their cellars for five to seven years before release, so you receive a bottle that has already begun its transformation into a complex, aged masterpiece — no patience required on your end.

Tasting & Pairings

Finger lime, grapefruit, kerosene, sage oil, preserved lemon, gun smoke, and salted nuts. High-tension acidity with intense concentration and a textural, coiled palate. Serve well chilled.

• Kingfish crudo or oysters with lime mignonette — classic pairing for aged Riesling.
• Five-spice duck breast or tofu Pad Thai — the acidity balances spice and oil beautifully.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Australian Wine Companion 97 Points | The Virgilius continues to be the benchmark for viognier in Australia, no doubt prompting a few nervous glances from the French in the process. Pale straw in the glass with notes of apricot, lemon, grapefruit and crisp nashi pear with hints of soft spice, almond paste, marzipan, white flowers and crushed quartz. In the mouth, it weaves its textural magic leaving a slinky wake across the palate, finishing dry and stony with ample acid drive and precision and a lovely 'sucking on a river pebble' sense of savoury composure and elegance.

The Wine Spectator 94 Points | The 2020 The Virgilius Viognier hails from a hot, dry, low-yielding season, yet the elevation of Eden Valley often protects it from the worst of the heat. It leads with aromas of nougat, white peach, apricot, jasmine tea and green apple skins. In the mouth, the wine is silky and svelte, unctuous in its flavor outlay, but taut in the splay of phenolics through the middle and back of the palate. Very smart, again. Matured for 10 months in French oak. 

James Suckling 93 Points | Yalumba is the pioneer of viognier in Australia and they continue to do a good job. Fealty to type. Floral lift infused with orange blossom, apricot pith and glazed quince. Round and full-weighted. A nicely measured confluence of viscosity, tactile oak vanillin, oatmeal lees and freshness. Slippery length. 

The WIne Enthusiast 92 Points | This premium Viognier, from the winery that has cheered loudest for the variety, opens with flint and almond alongside honeyed orchard fruit aromas. Viognier’s characteristically luscious mouthfeel dominates the palate. The fruit and acidity are quiet, but holding on after a few years of bottle age. A subdued, food friendly and harmonious drop.

Memo Summary Notes

The Yalumba "The Virgilius" Viognier 2020 is widely considered the benchmark for Australian Viognier. Produced by Yalumba, the winery that single-handedly pioneered the variety in Australia, this flagship bottling is designed to rival the great Condrieu wines of the Northern Rhône.

Sourced from the estate's oldest vines (planted in 1980) in the high-altitude Eden Valley, where cooler nights help the grape maintain acidity—a rarity for this naturally low-acid variety.

This is a serious gastronomy wine. It pairs perfectly with richly spiced Asian cuisine (Thai green curry, Beef Rendang), roasted pork with fennel, or buttery lobster. It is also one of the few whites that can handle a truffle risotto.

Expert Reviews — Vintage 2023

The Wine Advocate 93+ Points | The 2023 Bin 51 Riesling leads with an austere, searing nose of grilled lime, bath salts, lemon zest, crushed quartz, preserved citrus and pear skin. In the mouth, the wine is fleshy in its way and light on its feet — poised without being heavy or concentrated, with a cleansing, rounded finish.

Wine Spectator 91 Points | Tangy and bright lemon-lime flavors on a sleek frame, with green apple, white pepper and sea salt minerality, plus lingering grapefruit zest. 660 cases imported.

About Bin 51

Penfolds Bin 51 captures the essence of Eden Valley, South Australia — a high-altitude, cool-climate region with worldwide recognition for producing definitive, world-class Riesling. The region's elevation gives the wines great finesse, elegance, and a capacity for long-term cellaring.

The 2023 vintage shows lifted orange blossom and pink lady apple aromatics. The palate brims with blood orange, passionfruit, and lime, balanced by natural zesty lemon acidity. In youth, these wines possess scented floral and citrus aromas with a mineral edge and marked natural acidity that drives the palate texture.

Tasting & Pairings

Grilled lime, lemon zest, crushed quartz, green apple, white pepper, sea salt minerality, and grapefruit zest. Fleshy yet light on its feet with a cleansing, rounded finish. Serve well chilled.

• Seared scallops with citrus beurre blanc — mirrors the wine's lime and mineral notes.
• Thai green papaya salad — the acidity and fruit stand up to chili and lime dressing.
• Fresh oysters or ceviche — classic pairing for high-acid, mineral-driven Riesling.

Winemaker Description 

Red Schooner's new "Red Wine of the World," this red blend is sourced from famed regions of southern Australia, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Consisting of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, Transit 2 is bold yet nuanced, featuring scents and flavors of dark fruit, black pepper, leather and vibrant raspberries. 

A hint of mint stems from the region's native trees. Just like our Red Schooner Malbec from Argentina is known by the "voyage" that produced it, this wine is called a sequential "transit."