Josh Cooper's storage cool room full of his "Museum Stocks" tragically burnt down in the Harcourt fires in January. It's so sad, however there is good news, we bought a few more cases of the amazing and distinctive "graceful powerhouse" 2024 Redbank Cabernet (think Sally's Paddock fame). Buy some and raise a glass to Josh and wish him well knowing you helped a him a little.
I think that buyers of some of these wines will be wearing huge smiles after tasting them! The Balgownie site near Bendigo produced its last crop from the 1970 cabernet plantings and it will be turned into a housing estate. In my memory I can still taste the amazing 1977 and the 1980, that I tasted recently. What glorious wines they were (and are, as I still have a couple)! These wines offer class, generosity of flavour and captivating nuances; AND cellar-ability. I can't wait to taste this 2025 Balgownie legacy treasure in 10 and 20 years time! Cheers, Randall.
2025 Regional Pinot Noir
Offer: $55
Produced in much the same style as Doug’s Vineyard (basalt soil) pinot, though hailing from the exposed granite soils of Dash Farm at Mt. Alexander. Bright ruby red, and immediately inviting, black raspberry, red cherry, exotic spices and woody herb aromatics fill the glass, with a subtle flinty, smokey complexity. The palate as is usual for our style is full of red fruit and spicy complexity, structured by fresh acid and fine, powdery tannins which lend plenty of seriousness to this early release wine. Open and appealing at present, this Pinot Noir will also reward medium term cellaring with additional complexity and nuance. A wonderful introduction to the Cooper style.
2025 Regional (Macedon) Chardonnay
Offer: $55
'Delicious drinking. Lemon curd, lemongrass, lemon verbena with dashes of red apple, peach, vanilla and touches of flint with saline minerality. It’s got a nice haze to texture, a gentle and soft flow, a touch diffuse perhaps but refreshing anyways. Perfume rolls out with green apple, green mango, salted cashew and faint clove and herbal lift. Delightful. Everything just so. Good freshness too. Happy days.'
93Pts. - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
2025 Doug's Vineyard Macedon Pinot Noir
Offer: $73
This is from a basalt soil site on the outskirts of Romsey. "Go Doug! Slippery, refreshing, cool and bright. A sleek pinot noir of compact nature with a sheath of very fine, lacy tannins, tart cherry fruitiness, rose hip tea tang and grip, a little herbal twist somewhere in there too. A lick of game meat and truffle barely there. Elegance and restraint here. Ripper. 94 Points." Mike Bennie. The WineFront.
2025 Dash Farms (Mt. Alexander) Chardonnay
Offer: $73
'A little puppy fat, a little creaminess, the tickle of brine and talc-like minerality. That’s the story so far. Bold perfume, lots of flavour, pleasing, balanced, yet generous. Lemon curd and baked apple, a touch of shortbread and thin, ginger biscuit. Absolute delight, in a fuller profile, yet with all the hallmark vitality expected. Right on.'
94Pts. - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
2025 Dash Farms (Mt. Alexander) Cabernet Sauvignon
Offer: $73
'The rise and rise of cabernet profile under the care of Joshua Cooper is a force. An overlay of cool. And history. And respect. A thing.
This is succulent, refreshing, blue fruited, alpine herb laced, super cool, and yet curiously on the cusp of vibrant ripeness, and quasi-nouveau in its feel all at once. Phew! More full than expected and yet trimmed with the slip of glossy tannin is the deal. The suction of pumice stone grip gently finishing things a treat. A wine of glorious drinkability.' 93Pts. - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
2025 Balgownie - 1970 Old Vines - Maiden Gully Cabernet Sauvignon Offer: $73 - The last vintage of this great old vineyard!
This is the last harvest from this great site before the vines are up-rooted to make way for housing. A sad story for a distinguished site that has produced so many great balgownie cabernets over the decades, and a few Josh Cooper wines too.
"It’s a substantial and quietly powerful wine. Massive inward concentration, inky texture, grippy, silty tannin in a web shaping things, huge perfume of wild berries and mint and chocolate and sooty spice. The palate, a delight, a flowing, sleek thing of darkness, woody spice and savoury things. Dustiness here in a good way. There’s a distinct kind of old school, good school feel here, perhaps pushed through a modern lens, but leaning into more laid back, wine-for-cellaring vibes. And yet, the finesse seeps into things and convinces you to drink now. Compelling."
95+ Points - Mike Bennie The Winefront.
Weekly Special: Domaine Razal, Virgin Hills, Macedon Magic
DOMAINE RAZAL
Virgin Hills was planted by Tom Lazar in 1968 in what was considered at the time a bold, almost radical move. He purchased a 125ha property just outside of Kyneton, at a 600m elevation, and planted predominantly to cabernet, malbec, shiraz and merlot.
This Hungarian-born Melbourne restauranteur and sculptor was determined to create a wine, different to what was being produced at that time. He worked with Owen Redman in Coonawarra and then created a series of famous wines in the early to mid-70’s that stamped the vineyard’s reputation with greatness.
Virgin Hills was planted by Tom Lazar in 1968 in what was considered at the time a bold, almost radical move. He purchased a 125ha property just outside of Kyneton, at a 600m elevation, and planted predominantly to cabernet, malbec, shiraz and merlot.
This Hungarian-born Melbourne restauranteur and sculptor was determined to create a wine, different to what was being produced at that time. He worked with Owen Redman in Coonawarra and then created a series of famous wines in the early to mid-70’s that stamped the vineyard’s reputation with greatness.
Today the site is being treated with tender loving care and parts of the vineyard, previously “let go” are being rejuvenated and old vines kept where possible.
The current owners are Kerri and Stephen Stack and the winemaker from 2025 onwards (ex Curly Flat) is Ben Kimmorley.
The current owners are Kerri and Stephen Stack and the winemaker from 2025 onwards (ex Curly Flat) is Ben Kimmorley.
These wines we are offering here were made by guru Matt Harrop (also ex-Curly Flat, and prior, Shadowfax). I was seduced by the old vine depth, balance and “completeness” of the reds here, and the verve and (Chablis-like) punch of the chardonnay. Cheers, Randall
2024 Domaine Razal Chardonnay
Offer: $27 | $25.90 in 3-Packs
This was also made by Matt Harrop and, perhaps not surprisingly it shares a similar style and line to Curly Flat insomuch that it has a cool, lithe and ripe Chablis undertone even though it is 100% barrel fermented. It’s not green nor unripe, in fact it has brioche, ripe nectarine and pear fruit, but its clean and tangy. There is only 1 older barrel (300lt) made so just 33 doz in total! This is viticulture “on the edge”, in 2025 the deer ate all the chardonnay crop! This is from ’93 and ’95 plantings so the vines have nice maturity which shows in the poise and nice balance of this chardonnay. What a surprisingly bargain-priced white! Randall Pollard
2024 Domaine Razal Syrah
Offer: $27 | $25.90 in 3-Packs
This red proudly displays a vibrant youthful colour, subtle florals, crushed ripe blueberry and red berry fruit, hints of peppery spice-box, dark cherry and it has absolutely swallowed all of the 30% new oak used in its maturation. It is from the old ’68 plantings and it shows the old-vine depth and graceful power. This is coolish-climate shiraz, even though it can easily be enjoyed now, it has inherent ageability, and decades should not trouble it. Cheers, Randall
