K&L Newsletter: The Cream of the Crop Down Under

[] Remarkable depth of rewarding selections: discover your next favorite bottle... Monday May 29th, 2023 [View in Browser]( [KL-emailheader.gif]( [Commonwealth News]( [Today's Newsletter]( takes us down south—way down south, in fact. K&L's Thomas Smith covers perhaps the broadest beat of any of our buyers, combing the southern hemisphere for the best wines money can buy from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. His latest efforts have resulted in a bevy of can't-miss gems that no serious wine lover should miss. - [Top Collectible Buys from AU & NZ](#section1) - [The Best of Marlborough 2022](#section2) - [Spotlight on Central Otago: Carrick Estate](#section3) - [South Africa's Rising Star Region](#section4) - [A Trio of Boutique Aussie Shiraz](#section5) - [The Gimblett Gravels of Hawkes Bay](#section6) - [Top Sub-$20 Kiwi Pinot Noir Stars](#section7) --------------------------------------------------------------- [Leeuwin Estate] --------------------------------------------------------------- Outstanding Collectible Buys at Unbeatable Prices Australia and New Zealand have always produced serious, cellar-worthy wines, but it's only in the past decade or so that the world has really caught on to just how many great names there are to be found among the two countries' finest growing regions. New Zealand Pinot Noir is better than ever, and it's estates like Ata Rangi and Valli that are on the cutting edge, producing wines on par with the greatest examples in the New World. Meanwhile, the iconic Leeuwin Estate is the reference point for Australia's Margaret River, the country's answer to Napa Valley, where some of the world's most underrated Cabernets and Chardonnays are being produced. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2018 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir Martinborough 97 $59.99 [View]( 2018 Leeuwin "Art Series" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Western Australia (Elsewhere $63) 97 $39.99 [View]( 2020 Valli "Gibbston" Pinot Noir Central Otago 97 $49.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [TWR Vineyard] --------------------------------------------------------------- The Cream of the Crop in Marlborough's 2022 Vintage A season of myriad challenges meant the cream rose to the top in Marlborough's 2022 vintage. Buyer Thomas Smith has culled through countless examples to curate a selection Sauvignon Blancs from the properties that truly overcame the adversity of the season. Critically acclaimed value stars like Allan Scott deliver world-class QPR, while direct-import standout Te Whare Ra once again strikes gold with a sub-$20, 94-point rendition. Thanks to Thomas' insight, you can cut to the chase and load up on a bevy of favorites just in time for summer to kick into full swing. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2022 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (Previously $17) 93 $13.99 [View]( 2022 Clouston & Co. Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 95 $16.99 [View]( 2022 TWR (Te Whare Ra) Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 94 $19.99 [View]( 2022 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 95 $21.99 [View]( 2022 Smith & Sheth "Cru" Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley Marlborough $26.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [Carrick Estate Vineyard] --------------------------------------------------------------- Producer Spotlight: Central Otago's Carrick Central Otago is ground zero for the greatest examples of New Zealand Pinot Noir, with estates like Felton Road commanding an avid cult following (and pricing to match). Meanwhile, Carrick, whose estate vineyard shares a property line with Felton Road's iconic Cornish Point vineyard, has been quietly producing spectacular, biodynamic gems of the highest order for the past 30 years. What's better, they've expanded their repertoire to include truly enchanting Chardonnays and Rieslings, giving New Zealand fans a whole new angle on the country's most acclaimed fine wine region. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2020 Carrick Riesling Bannockburn Central Otago (Biodynamic) $16.99 [View]( 2021 Carrick Chardonnay Bannockburn Central Otago (Biodynamic) 94 $19.99 [View]( 2020 Carrick Sauvignon Blanc Bannockburn Central Otago (Biodynamic) 94 $16.99 [View]( 2021 Carrick "Billet Doux" Pinot Noir Bannockburn Central Otago (Natural Wine) 93 $21.99 [View]( 2019 Carrick Pinot Noir Bannockburn Central Otago (Biodynamic) 93 $29.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [Swartland Panoramic] --------------------------------------------------------------- South Africa's Swartland on the Rise With a winegrowing history dating to the 17th century, old-vine plots of serious pedigree, and a coterie of producers obsessively committed to making absolutely thrilling, world-class wines, it's still a shock to see South Africa's Swartland flying under the radar of most wine connoisseurs. But that seems about to change as producers like the Mullineux family and Adi Badenhorst, among others, push the envelope of quality and turn out wines that practically demand recognition. The selection below encapsulates the singular character that K&L buyer Thomas Smith experienced first-hand on his trip to the region last year, and we can't encourage you enough to jump on board this train, because it's surely going places. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2020 David & Nadia Grenache Paardeberg Swartland $39.99 [View]( 2021 Mullineux "Old Vine" White Blend Swartland 93 $34.99 [View]( 2017 Mullineux Syrah Swartland South Africa 91 $34.99 [View]( 2018 A.A. Badenhorst "Ramnasgras" Old Vine Cinsault Swartland 95 $59.99 [View]( 2019 Porseleinberg Syrah Swartland South Africa 96 $94.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Standish Winery] --------------------------------------------------------------- The Next Wave of Boutique Aussie Shiraz It's an established category, but Australian Shiraz is nonetheless seeing a paradigm shift in recent years toward expertly crafted wines from producers who prize quality above all else. The trio of examples below represent the new wave—miniscule, boutique production, old-vine pedigree, and authentic adherence to the true style of Australian Shiraz that put the category on the map in the first place. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2021 Agricola Vintners "Ebenezer" Shiraz Barossa Valley 94 $79.99 [View]( 2021 Adelina Shiraz Clare Valley South Australia 94 $49.99 [View]( 2021 Standish "The Schubert Theorem" Barossa Valley South Australia 99 $139.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [Famed Gimblett Gravels soils] --------------------------------------------------------------- The World-Famous Gimblett Gravels of Hawkes Bay In many, if not most, of the world's greatest wine regions, the soul is in the soil, so to speak. This is certainly true in New Zealand's Hawkes Bay region, where the Gimblett Gravels sub-zone is named for the unique stony soils that can be found nowhere else the country. Ideally suited to robust red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the Gravels is a hotbed of terroir-driven, expressive wines that bear the unmistakable signature of place that is treasured by wine connoisseurs the world over. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2019 Esk Valley Bordeaux Blend Gimblett Gravels New Zealand 93 $17.99 [View]( 2020 Craggy Range "Te Kahu" Bordeaux Blend Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay 94 $19.99 [View]( 2019 Te Mata "Estate" Syrah Hawke's Bay 96 $25.99 [View]( 2019 Trinity Hill Syrah Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay 96 $29.99 [View]( 2019 Bilancia "La Collina" Syrah Hawke's Bay New Zealand 99 $79.99 [View]( 2018 Villa Maria "Ngakirikiri" Cabernet Sauvignon Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay 97 $99.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ata Rangi] --------------------------------------------------------------- New Zealand's Best Pinot Noir Buys Under $20 Collectibles and cult favorites aside, New Zealand still stakes its claim in the wine world on remarkably consistent value. The selections below are exemplary of the overperforming Pinot Noir QPR that we routinely find in our favorite wines and producers. From Ata Rangi's entry-level Crimson to the La Strada from direct-import favorite Fromm, you will be hard-pressed to squeeze out more bang for your Pinot Noir buck from anywhere else in the New World. Vintage Item Name Score Retail Link 2020 Koyama Pinot Noir Waipara 93 $19.99 [View]( 2020 Ata Rangi "Crimson" Pinot Noir Martinborough (Previously $25) 94 $17.99 [View]( 2021 Sheild (Middle-Earth) Pinot Noir Nelson 93 $19.99 [View]( 2018 Momo (Seresin) Pinot Noir Marlborough $19.99 [View]( 2019 Fromm "La Strada" Marlborough Pinot Noir (Previously 30) 94 $19.99 [View]( [Return to Top](#top) --------------------------------------------------------------- [New Feed]( [Auction]( [Local]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [On the Trail (K&L Blog)]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [BORDEAUX]( | [NAPA]( | [BURGUNDY]( | [CHAMPAGNE]( | [ITALY]( | [RHÔNE]( | [SPIRITS]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [My Account]( | [Wine Clubs]( | [Events]( |[Gift Cards]( | [Accessories]( | [Delivery]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Missed an offer? 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