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Geoff Hardy's family have been making Australian wine since 1857. Geoff grew up amongst the most distinguished vineyards in our land and he knows from good red wine. He retains access to the finest fruit in McLaren Vale and is the man behind many of our nation's most memorable vintages. Undercover is a moniker that Geoff has assigned to a collation of exceptional parcels, albeit bottled behind an abstruse label to secrete the provenance of a spectacular Shiraz. Gold Medal Winner & Best Value at the hotly contested 2016 China Wine & Spirit Awards, the pick of crop this week, seriously.. Sound shiraz for the savvy & shrewd»
The 1890s brought boom years to the nascent Aussie wine industry, as connoisseurs throughout Europe and the Empire were introduced to the Dionysian delights of new world Claret by Tyrrell, St Huberts and Wirra Wirra. An enterprising family of Scots took heed of the times to plant grapevines on a uniquely auspicious block in Valley Clare, they called it St Andrew and produced forty vintages of the most sensational quality Claret until the 1930s. The Taylor family acquired the fallow farm in 1995 and brought St Andrew's vines back to life. The treasured block endures as home to the flagship range of Taylor wines, one of the most distinguished vineyards in all Australia. St Andrew's Cabernet was adjudicated by Union de la Sommellerie Française as Best Cabernet Wine in the World at Concours International des Cabernets... *according to the french»

Riposte Sabre Pinot Noir CONFIRM VINTAGE

Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills South Australia
En garde! The illustrious Tim Knappstein has returned with the cut and thrust of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. Knappstein hails from a long lineage of great winemakers, he was the first to plant vines at Lenswood in 1981. He still lives amongst the undulating aspects of Adelaide Hills and works with the most dedicated growers. Knappstein has accumulated the experience and skill to put all his efforts to bear on any style of his choosing. Pinot Noir is sourced from some of the eldest and most distinguished sites in the premiere precincts of Lenswood and Piccadilly.
Available in cartons of six
Case of 6
$203.50
Of great interest to Knappstein is the spread of ripening between newer clones Pinot Noir, 777, 114 & 115, as opposed to the established MV6, D4V2 and D5V12. The newer clones ripen earlier and are better suited to the cooler, higher aspects of Adelaide Hills. The Knappstein team work closely with growers to produce moderate yields of superior quality fruit, well exposed to sunlight for optimal development of colour, flavour and tannins. The Sabre is made in small batches, all parcels are cold soaked and hand plunged in traditional open fermenters, treated to full malolactic and ten months maturation in a mix of seasoned and new French oak barriques, followed by a minimal filtration.
Scarlet purple colour. A substantive nose of ripe red berry fragrances, garden vegetable, barnyard and game. An opulent palate of earthy dark fruit flavours, currants and black cherry, tomato leaf and piquant bucolic characters, supported by a fine length of firm yet malleable tannins, sheathed within a an inseparable frame of sassafras oak, all providing balance and structure.
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Riposte
After a decade of confusion about his distinguished history and name, which continues as a famous Clare Valley that he founded in the 1970s, Tim Knappstein made the decision to launch a new label in 2006

The name chosen was Riposte, for which the dictionary definition is comeback, a quick reply, retort, or in the context of the sport of fencing a quick counter stroke. The wines, sourced from selected premium vineyards in South Australia’s cool climate Adelaide Hills, carry sword names reflecting the fencing theme. They display the pure varietal characters of this exceptional cooler region. The aim of Riposte is to deliver top quality wines at affordable prices aided by meticulous winemaking, rigourous grape selection and Tim’s 40 years of winemaking and judging experience. Tim Knappstein stands tall among Australia’s elite winemakers, a third generation vigneron with 40 years experience producing wines of finesse and excellence.

Riposte

Tim commenced winemaking in Clare, South Australia, with the renowned Knappstein family owned Stanley Wine Company. Within a decade, Tim had won more than 500 show awards, gold medals and trophies for the company’s premium Leasingham range, though his unrequited passion for cool climate wines led Tim to the Adelaide Hills in 1981, where he planted the first vineyard in the Lenswood district. Respected as one of Australia’s most informed and experienced cool climate vignerons, Tim has judged at regional, state, national and international wine shows since 1975, and is currently chairman of judges at the Cowra Wine Show and National Cool Climate Wine Show in Bathurst, New South Wales.

Tim Knappstein’s hand-crafted wines continue to attract the highest accolades. Verifying his expertise as a cool climate wine craftsman, Tim’s pinot noir from the Adelaide Hills has won trophies on seven of the 11 times it has been entered in the Adelaide Hyatt Advertiser Wine Awards.

Working closely with selected growers to obtain the highest quality fruit, Tim’s vast knowledge and expert skills enable him to produce highly individual cool climate wines of undisputed premium quality – evident throughout the impressive Riposte portfolio of wines.

Riposte

Tim makes much of his Pinot Noir in the lighter French styles of the suppler Burgundies or crisp Beaujolais. The Dagger is a rich fresh earlier drinking wine with all the trademark Pinot aromas and flavours. Drink when young while the edge is keen. Currently being served by Qantas in Business Class.

The fruit for Cutlass Shiraz is selected from a vineyard at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. Small batches of grapes are crushed, fermented and pressed separately then aged in French oak. The best barrels are then selected and blended before bottling. The Stiletto Pinot Gris glides seductively across the palate from initial lifted nashi pear and tropical characters to a final stab of spice. Supple rich, mouth filling fruit leads to a finely honed finish of crisp acidity. The Foil Sauvignon reflects the region’s reputation for excellent and memorable Sauvignon Blanc. The Rapier Traminer is crushed and immediately pressed, separated and fermented in French Oak to provide extra texture and complexity with the juice settled to moderate clarity.

Tim also consults to a small selection of wineries. When Tim is not making wine much of his time is spent with his Datsun 240Z race car. Tim is an ex Australian champion glider pilot and power pilot but then swapped his love for speed in the air to motor sport. He competed in the Classic Adelaide 5 times in his Mini Cooper S. Tim enjoys Tarmac Rallying and has entered the Datsun in the Classic Adelaide, Mt Buller and Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally, as well as racing the car at Mallala and Phillip Island.

Riposte