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the secret drop...      

White wines Red wines Welcome to the home of Vincognita Wines,   from  Southern Fleurieu and McLaren Vale,  South Australia.

We are boutique winemakers.  We create individual, handmade wines of style and distinction that deliver outstanding value for money. Our focus is highlighting  superb wines made from distinguished vineyard sites.  

All our Madeleines wines are handmade and produced in very limited volumes. That's why only the most discerning wine enthusiasts know about our little secret.  You can't buy our wines in big supermarket liquor stores.  You can buy them here and from some leading independent  retailers and of course in selected restaurants.

2009 Nangkita Sauvignon Blanc

2008 Nangkita Viognier

2008 Gewurztraminer

2009 Nangkita Instinct Chardonnay

2009 Adelaide Hills Musque' Chardonnay

2006 BULLSEYE Shiraz

2007 Nangkita Shiraz

2007 NSX Shiraz 10th Anniversary

2007 McLaren Vale Shiraz

2007 Nangkita Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Nangkita Primitivo

2007 Nangkita Primitivo

  2009 Nangkita Sauvignon Blanc  top) 

Our best one yet - this has tropical fruit, structure, complexity and a generous creamy texture.  Try it - you'll love it.

This wine is handmade from estate grown Sauvignon Blanc from the cool climate southern end of the Mt Lofty ranges. Our winemaker Chris Dix harvested in several batches to capture the fresh gooseberry and tropical fruits.

The grapes were gently pressed to extract the most delicate juice and then fermented cool with fine solids to create a distinctive wine of character. The wine is light straw in colour with a green tinge. The aromas show lifted tropical fruits and characters of  passionfruit, gooseberry and tropical fruits.  The palate has a rich syrupy entry with a soft creamy texture and flavours of melon and gooseberry.  This is a delicate flavoursome winee with length and a zesty finish.

Drink now to 2013.  Bronze medal 2009 National Cool Climate Wine Show.

A distinctive wine for a great price.  Recommended Retail is $15 per bottle.

  2008 Nangkita Viognier

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Since 2003 we have made our flagship Viognier, setting our own benchmark style and winning Gold Medals with every release and four trophies as well.. Our 2008 we are most proud of, the only SA wine to be awarded a Trophy at the 2009 National Cool Climate Wine Show. This is elegant, refined, complete and  will go with most dishes - even with a dash of chilli.  Its a classy, exotic lady that oozes charm and sophistication....

The wine is straw in colour with a green tint. The aromas show intense lifted fruit aromas of honeysuckle, apricot and spicy ginger.  The nose has added complexity with wild yeast characters of cloves and spice.

The palate has a thick syrupy entry of full complex ginger, green apple and delicate apricot flavours, a creamy round and juicy palate with a hint of minerality.   Natural yeast fermentation has contributed complexity and a generous textural palate.

The best feature of our Viognier is the universal appeal of the soft & creamy full palate weight.  A great example of powerful fruit made with restraint.

Drink now to mid 2011.  An exceptional wine for a great price.  Recommended Retail is $19.90 per bottle.

Trophy - Dry White Varieties, 2009 National Cool Climate Wine Show

Gold Medal, 2009 National Cool Climate Wine Show

Gold Medal, 2009 Sydney Royal Wine Show

  2008 Nangkita Gewurztraminer

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Here it is the "G - Banger" so-called by a fan.  Pronounced 'gah-wertz-tram-in-er', but G-Banger is fine.  Its so full of lifted spice, rose, and flowers that Dad cracks it open with spicy seafood, Thai or a curry because it can handle strong dishes.  

From our two rows of Gewurz (spicy) traminer at Nangkita, production is very limited at around 100 cases

Recommended Retail is $15 per bottle.  

 

'Wine of the Week' &  4.5 Stars  The Age Epicure   30.6.09

'This example captures gewurtztraminer's classical traits powerfully and, at the price, its an extraordinary bargain. Pungent aromas of fresh lychees, flowers and exotic spice lead through a rich palate of clean, lush varietal flavours, finishing powdery-dry.  Delicious.'

Ralph Kyte-Powell

  2009 Nangkita Instinct Chardonnay

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Our first Nangkita Chardonnay and a new release!

Winemaker Chris Dix walked the rows and tasted extensively, with a number of batches harvested at varying ripeness levels.

The juice was left to do its own thing with the natural yeasts - Instinct took over and the yeasts fermented a complex full wine with complexity and fullness.

 

The wine is lifted with white  nectarine and citrus fruits in a refreshing style.  The palate is round and has peach and grapefruit flavours and a juicy creamy mouthfeel.  A contemporary Chardonnay that avoids overt oak or butter characters - its all about the fruit in a round but food friendly dry style.

 

Recommended Retail is $15 per bottle.  

  2009 Adelaide Hills Musque' Chardonnay

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Every once in a while as a winemaker you discover a patch of grapes that you can't go past.

In 2001 our winemaker Chris Dix went to California and worked vintage in the Santa Maria Valley, home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  It was during these vineyard visits Chris became intrigued by the " Musque' " clone of Chardonnay - a particularly musky version he'd never seen before in Australia. Then early in 2009, Chris got a tip-off from a viticulturist in the Adelaide Hills - there was a small patch of musky tasting Chardonnay at Macclesfield. Intrigued, Chris & Peter visited and tasted the extraordinary fruit and then made a trial batch.  Here it is :  Australia's first Musque' Chardonnay!

 

Basket pressed, wild fermented in old barrels, left on yeast lees for six months and bottled fresh.

This is a pure elegant expression of the musk clone, with grapefruit, lifted musk and melon fruits.  Perfect food wine.

A Chardonnay like no other!

Production is very limited at  100 cases

Recommended Retail is $22 per bottle.  

 

  2006 BULLSEYE Shiraz  
 

Now here's a favourite that will impress the neighbours at your barbie - its fruity, juicy and even Bill the beer guzzler from up the street will enjoy its soft full flavour.

This great vintage of Shiraz brings together the cooler climate  characters and structure of Fleurieu fruit from our Nangkita vineyard with the rich ripe flavours of McLaren Vale.

The grapes were open fermented in small batches, basket pressed and matured in French and American hogsheads for 22 months. 

The wine is vibrant bright plum in colour.  The aromas show spicy cherry, red fruits and red currants.  The palate has a sweet juicy fruit and berry palate showing medium weight blackberry and plum fruits.  This Shiraz is a fresh vibrant style with length and subtle integrated oak.

Drink to 2012. A great wine for a great price.  Recommended Retail is $15 per bottle.  

 3  Stars  Winestate McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek & Southern Fleurieu July / Aug 2009  

Best Buys - Winestate less than $20

  2007 Nangkita Shiraz  

Our flagship red, the Nangkita Shiraz has been made since 2005 and has been highly awarded each vintage.  Is this Australia's best value Shiraz ?  It should sell for $40.  How do we do it for under $20 ? we are struggling to keep the price down, but because we grow the grapes and make the wine we can offer superb value.  

2007 was a super vintage at our Nangkita vineyard with focused fruit flavours and intensity. The grapes were open fermented in small batches, basket pressed and matured in French and American hogsheads for 20 months. 

The wine is bright plum red in colour. The aromas show intense lifted blackberry fruits with spice, dark fruit conserve and chocolate. The palate has a silky rich entry showing ripe sweet berry and dark cherry flavours with a hint of cool climate dark olive.

This Shiraz is a juicy rich wine that needs more time to soften the tannins.  Drink to 2015.

Recommended Retail is $19.90  per bottle. Limited Stock

Here's what Winewise Magazine had to say:    (Aug 2009 Issue)

"This is a beautifully balanced, richly flavoured shiraz in which the sweet fruit matches very well with the attractive oak. Drinks well now, but will improve further.  Excellent Value"

Gold Medal   2009 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards

4 ½  Stars       Winestate New Releases July / Aug 2009

Equal 10th     2009 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge

  2007 NSX Shiraz - 10th Anniversary  

 

 

An extremely limited bottling of 110 cases to celebrate our 10th Anniversary this year.

N = Nangkita

S = Shiraz

X = 10 years

Winemaker Chris Dix selected our finest Shiraz barrels from the superb 2007 vintage at our Nangkita vineyard.  This special release of super premium Shiraz captures the essence of our handmade wines from vineyard to bottle.

This blend is from low yielding vines, open fermented, basket pressed and barrel fermented in French and American barriques.  The wine was then further matured for 20 months prior to bottling.

The wine shows vibrant dark cherry & blackberry fruits, with a rich palate intensity and structure showing length & finesse.

No ordinary Shiraz. Drink to 2020, probably a lot longer but we'll be checking it regularly, so we'll advise!

5  Stars & Equal Top       Winestate McLaren Vale, Langhorne & Fleurieu July / Aug 2009  

  2007 McLaren Vale Shiraz  

 

For Big Red lovers, the McLaren Vale  Shiraz has been made since 2005 and has been highly awarded each vintage.  This is classic big McLaren Vale  Shiraz  with vibrant opulent red fruits complimented by maturation in French and American barrels.  This old block is consistent and reliable, producing Silver, Gold & Trophy awarded Shiraz every year. The 2006 vintage won 3 Trophies including Winewise Best Shiraz Trophy.  2007 - the volume was limited and we only have 50 cases to last 6 months......

Handmade from what is believed to be the oldest Shiraz block in Willunga.  This block of Shiraz struggles on some of the poorest soils around, but gives us intense rich fruit.   The wine is intense black plum in colour. The aromas show plummy fruits, spice and white chocolate with hints of toasty oak. The palate has a super rich sweet entry showing huge mid palate fruit sweetness and roundness.  This Shiraz is a juicy intense wine with good length and weight.  The tannins are big and ripe, needing some time to settle down. Drink to 2015. Recommended Retail is $19.50 per bottle.    

4 ½  Stars       Winestate McLaren Vale, Langhorne & Fleurieu July / Aug 2009

Silver Medal   2009 Winewise Small Vignerons Awards

  

  2007 Nangkita Cabernet Sauvignon  
  Remember hard green cabernet tannins ? Forget chewing into green rhubarb!  Our Cabernet has ripe full tannins, a full round palate and you can enjoy it now with a juicy porterhouse, well not right now, but very soon if you order now.......  

2007 was a low yielding vintage at our Nangkita vineyard with focused fruit flavours and intensity.

We selected our best Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in ironstone soils on our ‘Wedge’ block at Nangkita.

The grapes were open fermented in a small batch, basket pressed and matured in French and American barriques for 16 months.  Limited Release

Drink to 2016.

Recommended Retail is $19.90 per bottle.

 

2008 Madeleines Nangkita Primitivo

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Primi - who?...what?  Yes it sounds a bit weird and we only have one row of these vines..... but it punches out an exotic fruitcake of a wine with roundness and fullness.  If you've heard of Zinfandel well its the twin brother, but Primitivo is the handsome one!  
Primitivo is a rarity, existing in a small pocket of vines in Southern Italy, but believed to be from Croatia.  Over the years we've planted various clones in three different blocks, but for various reasons, we've never picked any grapes from those vines.  At Nangkita, we planted for the fourth time 3 different clones and after a few years of babying the vines, we finally made a wine.  Here is our 3rd vintage of  Primitivo (aka Zinfandel), an interesting and exotic wine showing rum & raison, fruitcake and syrupy smoothness.  Understandably it is limited.  We threw half the bunches on the ground in a few months before harvest, and then cut the 'wings' off the bunches, to assist the berries to develop intensity and to ripen evenly.  90 cases made.

The only Gold Medal winner in its class at the 2009Aust. Alternative Varieties Wine Show

2007 Madeleines Nangkita Primitivo

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This is the 2006 Primitivo after its been to the gym, its rippling with more muscle, a little brash and possibly even a bit up itself, but that will mellow with a bit of age.  
The 2007 Primitivo is also available, its vibrant, bright and big with spicy fruits, complexity and a little brash at the moment.  A little bottle age will mellow it out.  We can't decide which vintage we prefer, but with the 2007 Primitivo we had enough cases to enter the 2008 Australian Small Winemakers Show (Class 60) where it was awarded a Gold Medal....... now thats a rarity for an alternative variety! Recommended Retail is $22 per bottle.

Sorry - sold out.

  Copyright © 2005 - Vincognita   |  www.vincognita.com.au

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