Bspoke tours

To vote to not allow the invaded, slaughtered , dispossessed, disadvantaged and discriminated against a voice to help close the gap, to vote to not recognise them as the first peoples in the constitution. A cloud of shame now hovers over this ancient land. 😢

On a recent trip to Adelaide for my twinnies’ 26th birthday, driving across the potholed moonscape that was (before the repairs) the Western Highway, I received a message from . I know Justin from but it soon became apparent from our message exchange that he’d moved on (on v good terms with his mates ) to a new, super interesting project. Tell me more, Justin, I said. He did. And do it transpired that before heading to Adelaide I detoured to McLaren Vale on a Friday morning to meet up with Justin .wines (& ) co-winemaker Ben Caldwell. Great detour!!

Ben went to Adelaide Uni and in 2010 met Mauricio Ruiz Cantú, sparking a friendship that, after four years at Uni together would eventually become , & .wines .

In 2013 after a few too many bottles of wine, Ben & Mauricio registered the company name Juguette Wines. Which means ‘Toy’ in Spanish. 2013 first Juguette wine that was sold in Mexico.

* Everyone always asks why Mexico? Well, the short answer is Mauricio is Mexican. But the long story has some more logic. Australian wine at the time was less than 0.1% of the market in Mexico. Ben & Mauricio also believed Australian wines suit the palates of the Mexican consumer. Thanks to a culture of steak house dining, classic South Australian Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignons seemed like a no brainer in Mexico.

There’s more to learn about this story, about & .wines in particular, but I’ll leave that for a future post. This is just a teaser…🤭

In the meantime, all six .wines are now available , so rush on in to try them, they’re delicious.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

“Wrong place, wrong time”. WTF. Another racist apologist in a position of power . It’s just not good enough. It makes us sad, sure, but it should make us mad, furious, incendiary. There needs to be repercussions for throw away lines that totally dismiss the evil, the horror & the incredible human waste perpetrated here, not to mention the predictable “nothing to see here” attitude by the MSM. FFS, where’s the humanity?

Day 3, Winery # 6 of the Victorian Legends Tour with & starts with an all time favourite of mine that’s absolutely on fire.

Winemaker Matt Holmes joined in 2015 (after an earlier 1 year stint) & is gradually learning about the land, the vines & indelibly leaving his light-touch stamp on the wines. A v modest genius is Matt. Bit by bit the vineyard is becoming classified organic, though the practices employed throughout the whole property by Vineyard Manager, Lucas Grigsby, are all about protecting the land. A new single vineyard Chardonnay in his name is about to be released. It receives no new oak & upon tasting revealed an incredible tension. Look out!!

Frank & Charlotte are lovers, & while aware of the class of wines, were blown away by their capacity to age. We sampled the the 1989 Estate Chardonnay & it still had fruit & acid (as well as some v cool tertiary characters), while the 1996 “Serré” Pinot Noir was incredibly lively, with forest floor & bacony hints peaking through the dense fruit. Amazing. I’ve enjoyed one or two of these over the years with my little mate , but to see the looks on Frank & Charlotte’s faces was priceless.

There’s always something interesting & unexpected revealed between people when you’ve got time to sit, sip & nibble in a special place, with special people. It’s no coincidence that motto is “Small Groups, Big Memories”. Intimate settings are where the magic happens.

Six down, one to go - - let’s bring this baby home.

Contact me anytime to book your life changing vinous experience.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Day 2, Winery # 5 of the Victorian Legends Tour with & finishes with a piece of history - Ron Laughton & in beautiful .

Ron’s love of terroir is obvious in the name of the winery, with bits of Jasper still littered all over the rocky vineyard. The Jasper and other mineral elements that run through the property have had a big say on a couple of Australia’s most iconic wines- the Emily’s Paddock (Shiraz/Cab Franc & named after now winemaker Emily McNally) & the Georgia’s Paddock (Shiraz). The rizza has long been a sneaky favourite of mine too, though the Nebbiolo is fast establishing a special reputation too.

I’ve drunk for decades and (in)famously drank the 1996 Emily’s Paddock I’d bought to celebrate my daughter Emily’s 21st about 19 years too early. Sorry Pemo. ❤️

Wine lovers Frank & Charlotte were captivated by Ron’s tales…and the platter Elva put together 🔥.

We tasted the range, with a couple of back vintages thrown in for good measure, and drove away feeling happy & a little philosophical too I’d say.

There’s always something interesting & unexpected revealed between people when you’ve got time to sit, sip & nibble in a special place, with special people. It’s no coincidence that motto is “Small Groups, Big Memories”. Intimate settings are where the magic happens.

We repaired to Daylesford for some well earned rest, to be ready for Day 3, the Moorabool Valley - & 🔥🔥.

Contact me anytime to book your life changing vinous experience.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Day 2, Winery # 4 of the Victorian Legends Tour with & begins BIG .duck.creek.estate in beautiful .

Head honcho .81 was away but assistant winemaker & all round ripper blind (Bryan) was on hand to show us around & delight our palates.

Since David (Duck) Anderson founded .duck.creek.estate in 1980, they’ve been making delicious wine for people who like it lush. And they’re still delighting their fans, though it’s fair to say that Liam, Bryan & team are probably use terms like elegance & balance a tad more than Duck did.

From incredible value entry level wines such as the ridiculously yummy Yellow Hammer Hill Shiraz Malbec Cab blend for $30, to the famous Duck Muck (Shiraz/Cab pressings blend) at around $450 to the rarely made Original Vineyard Shiraz for $1000, the team here delivers quality & incredible depth of fruit.

To view and taste some of the museum stock and chat wine philosophy (& noughties dance parties) with Bryan, Frank & Charlotte was a v fun time.

We also got a cheeky look at the two impressive cuvées from Liam & Bryan’s side project . Both have great futures, but I’m with the Mia Mia for now - super pure plums & blueberries up front, subtle earth, cedar, black olive tapenade & mineral hints in support. 😋

There’s always something interesting & unexpected revealed between people when you’ve got time to sit, sip & nibble in a special place, with special people. It’s no coincidence that motto is “Small Groups, Big Memories”. Intimate settings are where the magic happens.

Right, with that magical experience completed, how about we visit all time legend Ron Laughton at ?

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have visited Kep Smith & at with clients a couple of times now. Each time they blow my mind and I feel humbled to feel v much at home in their home. It’s that type of place. They’re v special people.

Kep is a raconteur, his kitbag of stories is bottomless. Oh he’s passionate about the wine, but it’s there to be enjoyed, not endlessly dissected.

And if you’re lucky enough to be invited to break bread with them, say a little thank you to your chosen deity (I’ll go for Mother Earth I think) and get ready to be amazed.

Nobue is a wine & sake but her cooking is Michelin star level. And she makes it look so simple. Kep is the master of the and we’re all the better for it. 😋

Oh yeah, the wines. Well suffice to say that his Chardy is like a Grand Cru Chablis, his Pinot complex & lingering & his Shiraz savoury & mystic…and the Sagrantino could turn out to be a masterpiece - watch this space!!

A massive thx to Kep & Nobue for opening up their home to us, I know & were amazed and incredibly grateful.

And to Nathan Kinzbrunner and Julian & CarolAnn . What a day!!

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

As I said in the story yesterday, “to be welcomed into someone’s home is a v special privilege”.

A tasting with Julian , many years ago now, essentially changed my life. To be now able to offer that experience to others is actually quite humbling.

Julian & CarolAnn ensured it was an amazing afternoon, with a fantastic spread layed out & Julian’s home-made wood-fired pizzas a highlight.

Julian explained their bio-dynamic philosophy to & in the comfort of this gorgeous country kitchen, then ran us through their super impressive range of wines.

While all the tried & true stars duly shone, a straight Roussanne caught my attention with its incredible depth & complexity, and Frank fell in love with a new, yet to be named Chardy that absolutely sung when poured out of its preserving bottle. I’m looking forward to it joining the Cru range v soon.

However, while I’ve always been a fan of the Genesis Syrah & the Un Segreto (Sangiovese Syrah), it was the 2018 La Chiave, a straight Sangiovese, that truly blew me away. I can still smell that intoxicating nose. Brunello anyone?

While it’s a bit far for my one day tours, I can’t wait to get on the road to Beechworth again as part of one my Victorian Legends Wine Tours….it’s Burgundy, Tuscany & the Rhone all wrapped up in one v v pretty package.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Day 1, Winery 1 of the Victorian Legends Tour was to the iconic & world famous Giaconda.

What a start to this incredible 3 day line-up for amazing guests & ; wine lovers eager to hear from the legends who make their favourite wines.

With Rick in Europe (well, it is winter), son & asst winemaker Nathan Kinzbrunner showed us around and led us in some amazing tastings from barrel & tank.

Walking into the Giaconda barrel cave (& cellar) is something you’ll never forget. Some of us didn’t want to leave.

A huge thank you to Nathan for being such an informative & generous host. Like I said above, what a start!!

Next stop .

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Yep, that’s right…WE’RE BACK!! 🥂🍷

The van’s gone, we’re touring in our little Audi A3, three guests max.

Intimate experiences with winemaking superstars. Midweek tours afford us that unfettered access to the stars of the show in a v relaxed way (even winemakers need weekends).

We’ll be tasting legendary wine with legendary winemakers, with fancy tasting platters & yummy snacks thrown in to make the perfect experience. One day tours of multiple day extravaganzas like this one, your call.

We’ve made an exception for this kick off tour, leaving Melbourne for Beechworth, Heathcote, Daylesford & the Moorabool Valley from Saturday to Monday. My guests have flown in from Queensland & I’m forever indebted to the winemakers who’ve made their time available to make this happen. 🙏 The next one will be back midweek, I promise.



Savaterre Wines - Beechworth
Wild Duck Creek Estate




So, the CPVV registration, car & public liability insurance are all updated & we’re ready for take-off.

Reach out via [email protected] to enquire about your vinous experience of a lifetime.

Cheers 🥂🍷 🍻

We live on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Catch up on the last month’s wines for review. Quite the diverse range and ALL AVAILABLE NOW 🔥🔥🔥

First up the 2013 Tintara McLaren Vale Shiraz. This is as close as it gets to the classic aged McLaren Vale stereotype of milk fruit & nut chocolate, with just a touch of earthy background. At $29.99 you’d better buy 2 bottles, the first simply evaporates!!

2020 was horrible for so many regions, Canberra being one of the worst affected. generously made some Eden Valley fruit available to to make this wine possible. And what a triumph. Classic cool climate Syrah, with layers of fruit, spice, earth & gravel. 🔥

Dreaming of warm days, grab a bottle of .wine Grüner Veltliner and let those crisp green apples whisk you away.

No false advertising here, the 2020 Syrah is more Northern Rhone than classic smooth McLaren Vale. Do yourself a favour.

The 2013 Billi Billi Shiraz is an unctuous drink now proposition from our Cellar Release section. Yum 😋

The 2018 Etna Rosso delivers deeper than expected Nerello Mascalese. Still haunting & layered. Dive in.

are masters of so many varieties, but they’re really on a roll with their Estate Chardies. Fruit depth, intensity & refreshing citrus acid lines. Some now, some for later!!

The 2020 Coteau de la Biche Vouvray delivers Chenin with depth but also welcome mineral notes & fresh acidity. Better with food than the previous more lush iteration.

The 2019 .tinazzi Ca’ de’ Rocchi Valpolicella is THE pizza wine. Great pure forest fruit, super juicy, dusty tannins. Mmmm 😋

The 2013 “Trinders” Cab Merlot took me back to the start of my wine journey in the late 80s. Classic aged Cab Merlot, blackcurrant & mulberries, subtle cedar & dark chocolate smoothness. Enjoy!!

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people & acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Time for us newcomers to listen & learn.

It only takes a few moments to contemplate what First Nations people have suffered through these last almost 250 years to understand just how many wrongs need to be righted, just how far we still have to go.

Hopefully & a more mature Parliament can move this process forward now that a number of roadblocks have been removed.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

If a full isn’t on the cards why not try a half bottle, or even a quarter, to pair with your evening fare?

We’ve tried these little beauts over the last week or two; all got the tick on flavour and value ✅✅.

The 2020 Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio is clean red apples & wild pears, a style that reminds of holidays just north - - of the Alto Adige, home of Pinot Grigio.

The 2021 Grüner Veltliner was right in the slot for tense, textural wild pears & a mineral finish. 😋

The cute little fella is the 2020 Coonawarra Shiraz, which delivered mid-weight, easy drinking plum & raspberry goodness right on queue.

The 2020 Shiraz Tempranillo offers an alternative to the classic Oz blend of Shiraz/Cabernet. Plums & blackcurrants, pepper, anise & earthy hints. Great value vino.

Apologies to wines for the pic, but the juice is definitely not transparent. The ‘19 Barossa Shiraz benefits from the small bottle format; it’s more developed than you’d expect, unctuous and smooth. Serious midweek stuff.

Pop into and check out our growing range of halves & quarters, and of course our vino cabs for the festivals & camping folk.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

I know everyone thinks that their is the best….but they’re all wrong, ‘cos mine is ❤️❤️

Enjoy the Nizza Cipressi, Mum, bringing us three ratbags up, you’ve more than earned it!!

We live on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Happy International Womens Day!!!
💥🎂🥂🍷

is a busy woman. She is the boss & winemaker & , with themes & passions running around Italian varietals & the joy that fine wine & music brings. It’s complex but fun.

Nikki grew up in a family of backyard winemakers, but initially flew the coop, traveling, guitar in hand, making music around the world, before “settling down” to work for De Bortoli developing international markets following her study in Commerce & Mandarin.

But her passion for the making, not just the selling, was never far away; a winemaking degree at ensued & the rest, as they say, is history.

Here’s a couple of my reviews of ‘s wines:

2020 Vermentino

Aromatic wafts of lemon blossom & briny notes dominate the nose.

On the palate generous apricot feels provide the creamy mouthfeel, with lemon zest & briny whispers providing the texture and mouth-watering tang.

This Vermentino & a chargrilled baby Octopus salad would be a match made in heaven.

2020 Heathcote Shiraz

On the nose aromas of plums & raspberries, toasted spices, anise & post rain earth are tantalising.

In the mouth there’s a fantastic balance between the fruit- think red plums, raspberries & redcurrants - and the savoury - organic cola, Dutch licorice & earthy nutmeg.

Delicious & versatile. Now that’s a good trick. ✅

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.




www.bspoketours.com.au

Today we continue the build up towards on 08/03/22 by celebrating two classy wines & two women rightfully considered pioneers & leading lights.

The 2018 Johnson’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Wynns’ Senior Winemaker Sue Hodder’s project wines. A Single Vineyard wine from the oldest surviving (1954) Cabernet block in Coonawarra, it speaks to her background as a viticulturist as much as her commitment as a winemaker to producing balanced, elegant wines.

Closed at first, time in the decanter reveals delicate floral whiffs, rose petals & violets, along with crushed black & red berries, cinnamon, cedar, tarragon & to***co pouch. That’s a nose worth waiting for.

In the mouth it’s medium bodied but silky smooth, as blackcurrant depth battles it out with redcurrant tension for ascendancy. Let’s call it a draw. Fine cedary tannins provide the structure, while dark chocolate, cinnamon, tarragon & nutmeg add the nuance.

Elegant now, 5 years in the bottle will produce a masterpiece.

New world Merlot, very hard to think of a time when it’s been cool. Everyone loves Pomerol, drools over Pétrus, but that’s not reality, is it?

Enter Colleen Miller from , a passionate advocate for Merlot in Australia, leading the way with the use of new clones, honing their viticultural practices to suit. Colleen is involved in every aspect of the business. Inroads are being made into making Merlot cool again. 💥

The 2018 Q Merlot uses the Q45 clone to produce a clean, classy wine with a fine future.

Black plums, mulberries, dark chocolate, violets & mineral whiffs are encouraging.

On the palate it’s unctuous plums & blackcurrants, Dutch licorice acid lines, black olives, to***co & fine tannins well on their way to a seamless integration. Like Sue Hodder’s wine, Colleen’s baby is delicious now but it’s best is yet to come. Decant.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people & acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Instead of a varietal comparison today I decided to look at style.

Three white wines on the drier end of the spectrum while maintaining an intense fruit profile.

First up is the 2020 Pinot Gris. Just the way I love a Gris, gorgeous aromatics, wild pear whiffs, lemon blossom whispers, tarragon hints & wet stone too, are all a great indication of what to expect on the palate. Just ripe wild pear, lemony acid lines & a mineral finish tick all the boxes I’m looking for with this style. No need to look for a chilli stir fry with this Gris, try it along side a mussel broth delight with toasted sourdough. Heaven.

Next up is the bubbles. Should I have started with the bubbles? Probably, yep. Another Tasmanian icon, churns out quality fizz year after year. This 2016 vintage Rosé had the wild pear & mineral feels of the the above mentioned Gris, but with classic toasty richness & nutty hints. Super citrus finish keeps you wanting more. Yum. With brioche & pâté or by itself with friends.

Off to Provence now, for a Bandol rosè. Being a Bandol, expect the red berry intense fruit from Grenache & Cinsault with some darker, brooding feels thanks to the Mourvèdre (aka Mataro). In keeping with the theme, this wine also displays the wet stone mineral feels that keep all the sizzling fruit in check. This is classy booze. Roast Chook would be a good match I think.

Pop into to grab some of these ripper savoury wines - and chat to us about plenty of others too!!

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and we wish to acknowledge them as traditional owners. We would also like to pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Righto, time to discuss the differences one variety can display based on region/site, vintage/weather & winemaking philosophies (well probably not too much of the latter, not enough space here).

Four Chardys, each one displaying different flavour & style characteristics.

Let’s start with the most “modern” style: think clean, tense, racy, mineral.

That’s the , and it’s minerality was always on the cards coming from Beechworth. It truly is Chardonnay Nirvana up there. The 2019 Chardonnay gave off briny, wet stone wafts, smokey oak, nectarines & lemon blossom whiffs too. Nectarines, green apples & grapefruit in the mouth, with mineral feels for miles, briny notes & racy lemon acid lines. Classy & delicious now, with quite the future in front of it.

The 2021 Le Stagiaire (“the apprentice”) Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay was similarly clean & tense, albeit without the overt minerality & smokey oak. As fresh as a mountain stream, peaches & nectarines led the way, with a racy citrus finish clearing the way for another sip. Uncomplicated, refreshing & delicious. A big tick on value too.

The 2020 Mornington Peninsula Chardy was similar in its clean lines, but with a touch more richness in the mouth. On the nose some white flowers, peaches & lemon blossom really set the mood for what was delivered in the mouth. Velvety smooth mouthfeel, not buttery/oily. I liked it’s versatility re: food matches too.

Now the 2020 Martinborough Vineyards “Home Block” Chardonnay strides in, leaving the saloon doors swinging. Peaches & cream, ripe apricots, white flowers & fresh oak on the nose announce its intentions. It orders a whiskey & joins the card game. Gun belt intact. Ripe peaches, rich apricots & oaky feels ensue, all served up on a buttery mouthfeel, with gentle citrus acid lines reigning it in just enough.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people & acknowledge them as traditional owners. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.

Two very different examples of Victorian Shiraz, both delicious!!

The 2018 Shiraz is just another example from Matt Holmes of just how seductive & exotic cool-climate Shiraz can be.

The intoxicating nose offers dark brooding fruit, anise, cloves, hazelnut praline, black olive tapenade & lavender whispers.

Most of these aromas appear on the palate too, ably supporting the ripe plums & mulberries. It’s medium + bodied with silky smooth tannins & juicy acid lines the begs the next sip. Honestly, this wine was a joy to sniff & sip, I was sad when we’d finished it ( was rightly miffed that I may have hogged it a little).

Later that week it was time for some beefy protein, so out came the steaks & the massive 2018 Reserve Shiraz.

The ripe plum jam, chocolate & licorice notes on the nose are no tease!! At 15.5% it’s a big boy, and takes no prisoners on the palate either. This mouth-filling, full-bodied beast delivers big on everything; plum & mulberry jam, dark chocolate & licorice straps for miles.

Both wines sell for $45 (less in any six) & it really depends where you are in your wine phases & what you’re planning on eating as to which one you’ll like the best.

Pop into , grab both, then come back and tell me which one you preferred. If you take a selfie with the wine we can add you to our Instagram customer reviews, and snap up a $25 discount on your purchase that day.

We work on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and we wish to acknowledge them as traditional owners. We would also like to pay our respects to their Elders, past, present & emerging.