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Results 1 - 21 of 21
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Currently out of stock
PinotMeunier / Great Western / Victoria
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Currently out of stock
Shiraz / Grampians Great Western / Victoria
There's good, there's better and there's Bests. The first Shiraz vines at the estate's St Andrew's vineyard were planted in 1930. The cuttings were sourced from the original 1860s plantings of Concongella Shiraz. Today these vines are still robust, producing intense spicy berries. A backbone of fruit from St Andrews is assembled with a component of good Shiraz grapes from the younger Salvation Hills site in the Grampians.
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Available in cases of 6
Shiraz / Concongella / Victoria
Outstanding Langton's Classification. Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best's original 1866 plantings, only ever made in exceptional years, on average about six times a decade. The vines are cropped at less than two tonnes per acre and are meticulously hand harvested, selected and sorted. Thomson Family Shiraz was first made in 1993, one hundred years after the Thomson family settled in the area. It is produced predominantly from the fifteen rows of vines planted by Henry Best, referred to as Hermitage by Henry in his daily journal.
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Currently out of stock
PinotMeunier / Great Western / Victoria
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Available in cartons of six
Shiraz Viognier / Great Western / Victoria
Bests distinguished old vineyards are surrounded by an endowment of small grower sites which date back to early settlement and yield softly spoken harvests of the most exquisite fruit. Kim Ludvigson was a close neighbour and highly respected vigneron, dearly loved by the tightly knit community of local growers, his harvests were an essential component of Great Western's most memorable vintages. A co ferment of Viognier and Shiraz, aromatic of apricot and plush with juicy plum, LSV unwinds flavours and complexity as it breathes, its line of succulent winegum tannins in support.
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Available in cartons of six
Shiraz / Great Western / Victoria
Sparkling Shiraz has been re-introduced to the Best's line up after almost forty years. Great Western is renowned for effervescent Shiraz, long known as Sparkling Burgundy since the early 1900s. Today's market is rediscovering the virtues of creamy red wines which can demonstrate the virtues of universal drinking appeal, good structure and fine texture. Australia can lay claim to this style as its own, completely unique, it has become Great Western's most profound contribution to the world of wine.
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Available in cartons of six
PinotNoir PinotMeunier Shiraz / Great Western / Victoria
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Available by the dozen
Riesling / Great Western / Victoria
A real insider's wine, Best's make the most flavoursome, elegantly structured and spectacular Rieslings which stand confidently alongside their more famous cousins. The Great Western region lends itself very well to growing exceptional quality fruit, diurnal weather patterns work very well, allowing grapes to ripen naturally, yielding luscious lemon and lime blossom flavours with great acid balance. Some of the original plantings can be traced back to German vineyards, there is great history and pedigree in the root stock of Great Western Riesling.
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PinotNoir / Great Western / Victoria
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Available in cartons of six
Shiraz / Great Western / Victoria
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Currently out of stock
Dolcetto / Great Western / Victoria
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Available by the dozen
CabernetSauv / Great Western / Victoria
There are few Victorian grown Cabernet Sauvignon as imposing and statuesque as those of Great Western. The parched, ruddy soils and brisk arid climes breed a style of Cabernet as gallant and ornate as the distinguished growths of Tuscany and Bordeaux. Small yields from gnarled old vines, a precious harvest of desiccated little berries, defined by a concentration and intensity of flavour. Its vivid varietal elements of black brambles, currant and cassis, supported by a tapestry of tannins and scented with the exuberant perfumes of violet blossoms, mocha and leaf.
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Available in cartons of six
Shiraz / Great Western / Victoria
Given the scarcity of Best's prestige, limited release, old vineyard icons, Bin #1 affords enthusiasts their first taste of the Great Western Shiraz style and leaves them eager to discover more. A classic, cool climate, aromatic wine, floral and spicy, peppery and elegant, retaining vital Great Western fruit character. Very ready to drink upon release, in the enduring Best's style, demonstrating the unique splendor of Great Westen Shiraz. Bin 1 is a great accompaniment to fine food, the celebration of a century's history at Best's Great Western.
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Currently out of stock
Shiraz / Grampians, Great Western & Concongella / Victoria
Excellent Langtons Classification. Bin 0 Shiraz is produced from the four original Shiraz plantings on the low yielding blocks of the historic Concongella Vineyard at Great Western. This includes nineteenth century and mid twentieth century plantings of Shiraz which yield meagre harvests of the most amazing quality grapes.
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Currently out of stock
Shiraz / Grampians, Great Western & Concongella / Victoria
Excellent Langtons Classification. One of the nation's most enduring wines, vinified from hand picked and sorted grapes grown to the four original Shiraz plantings on the historic, low yielding Great Western blocks.
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Available in cases of 6
/ Grampians, Great Western & Concongella / Victoria
Excellent Langtons Classification. Shiraz has been produced at Best's Great Western since the late 1800s, although an actual date of the inaugural Bin 0 has been lost in the annals of time. Top of the league from start to finish, what is certain is that Bin 0 is generally produced from Best's oldest plantings, selected from the lowest yielding blocks of the historic Concongella vineyard at Great Western. This includes nineteenth century and mid twentieth century plantings of Shiraz which yield meagre harvests of the most amazing quality grapes.
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Currently out of stock
Riesling PinotGris Gewurztraminer / Great Western / Victoria
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Currently out of stock
Riesling / Great Western / Victoria
A compilation of several blocks Great Western Riesling, treated to the luxury of a wild indigenous yeast ferment in a single, extravagant 2500 litre French oak foudre, coopered at the Burgundy barrel works of Marc Grenier. Candidate parcels of fruit must exhibit the wanton opulence of floral nectars and honeyed sweetness before entering the Frankish Foudre, its slowly fermenting juices coalesce into a full flavoured Riesling wine with the grainyness of oatmeal and autolysis of oak, roman nougat and spice, magnificently gingered with bickford lime and crisp acid finish.
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Currently out of stock
PinotNoir PinotMeunier / Great Western / Victoria
Pinot Meunier like no other, certainly the most distinguished bottling of its kind anywhere in the new world. Mostly old vine Concongella Pinot Meuniere, from grapes picked off parcels established 1970, with the inclusion of a priceless component of ancient vines 1868 Pinot Noir. A legacy of the Victorian Klondike, originally planted with a view to quenching the thirst of pioneer gold miners. Its brooding nose of freshly turned earth, baked spice and potpourri, precede a punchy, savoury palate of gummy red pectin flavours, undulating over a fine, super satin weave of divine, silky tannins.
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Currently out of stock
PinotNoir / Great Western / Victoria
Amongst the many priceless bequeaths which are part of the Bests portfolio, are an 1868 planting of Pinot vines, probably established with a view to formulating luxury sparklings in the style of Champagne. A small parcel of Pinot Noir amongst the mostly Pinot Meuniere, later identified as a historically significant mix of Swiss and French clones, may very well be the oldest productive Pinot Noir vines in the world today. A pure bottling of these invaluable heirlooms, redolent of strawberries, powerful and intense, old vine Pinot of extraordinary elegance and finesse, silky of tannin and persistent in length.
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Currently out of stock
Riesling / Great Western / Victoria
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Three superior old vineyard sites - the secret behind Bests Wines
Best's Victorian enterprise comprises three sister vineyards: The Grand Matriarch and headquarters, Concongella at Great Western, St Andrew's at Lake Boga and the baby Salvation Hills at Rhymney Reef. Each vineyard produces distinctly different grape characteristics from vines aged from five to 135 years. Together they add fascinating facets, contrasts and diversity to Bests stable of wine.
Twenty-one hectare Concongella, enjoys a cool temperate climate.
The newest, 22-hectare Salvation Hills also in the Great Western region is slightly cooler while the third, 28- hectare St. Andrews, lies 237 km further north near Lake Boga in the Swan Hill region and has a warm, temperate climate.
Bests Concongella Vineyard at Great Western was established in 1866. The 'Concongella' estate takes its name from the picturesque Concongella creek that lazily meanders beside the vineyard.
Meanwhile the premier wine-growing region of Great Western ("one of the best in the country" notes wine writer Hugh Johnson) takes its name from the nearby old gold mining village of Great Western, some 240km west of the City of Melbourne.
Unique factors of soil and climate contribute to Best's success. The land along the creek is flat with a powdery, limey loam overlaying a deep clay sub-soil while newer plantings are cited on a frost-free gravel hill. Climatically cold to very cold winters, and frequently dry and cool summers, with occasional bursts of hot weather, are the norm. Viv Thomson believes a little stress concentrates grape flavour, at Concongella it happens naturally. Despite these natural adversities, Concongella consistently produces high quality grapes of intense flavour. The vineyard is a blend of old and new plantings, Shiraz, Pinot Meunier, Dolcetto and Rhine Riesling being among the former and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the latter.
Best's St Andrew's Vineyard at Lake Boga was established in 1930. The more stable and reliable weather conditions at St. Andrews complements the more rigorous and diverse climatic Concongella conditions. The limestone soils of St. Andrews, together with the warm, dry climate produce smooth, fresh soft wines with above average fruit flavours which Bests often enhance with touches of quality oak.
A pot-still was among the winery equipment when William Thomson purchased St. Andrews at Rhymney
With the sale of St. Andrews in 1928, the pot-still was moved to Concongella and later to the new St. Andrews. Today, the original still adorns the wall of the St. Andrews tasting room, with a new pot-still now inuse. The production of grape fortifying spirit and fortified wines has played an important role in Thomson enterprises.
However, with the decline of interest in fortified wines and the Governments increased excise on brandy, sales have decreased steadily since the 1970s. St. Andrews gives today's generations of Thomsons a strong hand, contrasting nicely with Concongella. The combination of a warm, temperate climate and tough limestone soils, produce grapes with good fruit flavours.
Bests Salvation Hills Vineyard at Rhymney Reef was established 1996. The newest addition to the Thomson family vineyards, Salvation Hills, is in the Grampians region with acreage of 41 acres (17 ha), and enjoys a cool, Mediterranean temperate climate with duplex silty soils overlying fine-textured subsoil with or without siltstone at various depths.
Salvation Hills is at low risk from frost and despite the worry of a water shortage, the fruit currently produced is looking extremely promising. There are still an additional 8 hectares available for plantings, offing Bests the opportunity for further expansion. The only difficulty now is deciding what varieties to plant. time to unveil the crystal ball!
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