Ambassador Favourites – Under $60

1 x Pietra Pura Hyria Primitivo Puglia 2022 - Puglia, Italy

Organic - currently undergoing certification

Winemaker "An intense bouquet of red fruits which burst through to the palate. Rich and smooth, with a wellbalanced finish.

Wimemaker "Rocca delle Macìe has combined experience and expertise to create three different types of wine using Primitivo and Negroamaro grapes, which are vinified and bottled in the Puglia Region, under the watchful eye of the Zingarelli family’s chief winemaker, Luca Francioni. The Primitivo grapes of this wine come from selected vineyards located in southern Puglia, where the traditional Alberello basso vine training method is employed."

Vinum "An intense bouquet of red fruits, persistent with hints of blackcurrant and wild berries and lightly spiced thyme and aromatic herbs. Rich and smooth, with good body and a well balanced and persistent finish. 30% of the wine is aged in barriques for 12 months and 70% for the same period in stainless steel.
Ideal with meat, game or seasoned cheeses.

100% Primitivo

The PietraPura range is a successful collaboration with famous winery group, Rocca delle Macìe which makes the most of the native vines of the Salento area to create wines that express the very best of the terroir. Rocca delle Macìe has combined experience and expertise to create three different types of wine using Primitivo and Negroamaro grapes. Mandus and Cotis, two expressions of Primitivo di Manduria DOC, Dolceluna – Primitivo Dolce Naturale DOCG- and Negramaro -Salento IGT- represent the high end of the range and are produced using grapes cultivated in vineyards selected by Rocca delle Macìe’s technicians. The grapes are then vinified and bottled in the Puglia Region, under the watchful eye of the Zingarelli family’s chief winemaker, Luca Francioni.

Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when film producer Italo Zingarelli – of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much” fame, and also the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.

Puglia, also known as Apulia, is a long, narrow region comprising the heel of southern Italy's boot. Puglia is a major producer of both wine grapes and table grapes. Its name comes from a-pulvia, or “lack of rain” in Roman. The terroir is influenced by a sunny, warm Mediterranean climate with breezes from the Adriatic sea and fertile soil rich in limestone. The Puglian wine region is divided into three subregions: Foggia in the north, Bari and Taranto in the center, and Brindisi and Lecce in the south.

After Veneto, Puglia is tied with Sicily as the second biggest wine region in Italy. The Puglia area is mostly home to grape growers, rather than wine producers. However, there are winemakers producing quality wines in Puglia in smaller quantities. In addition to grapes, Puglia produces 40 percent of Italy's olive oil.

The grape of most interest to non-Italians is the early-ripening Primitivo, a speciality of the Gioia del Colle plain just south of Bari and Manduria, the western coast of the heel just south of Taranto. DNA analysis has proved what many had suspected all along, that this vine variety is one and the same as California's Zinfandel.

Primitivo is a dark-skinned grape known for producing inky, tannic wines, particularly Primitivo di Manduria and its naturally sweet Dolce Naturale variant. Although there have been contentious and long-running debates about the variety's geographical origins, there is little question that Primitivo's modern-day home is in southern Italy, particularly Puglia.

1 x Corymbia Tempranillo Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon (Organic) 2016 - Swan Valley, Western Australia

95/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
92/100 Wine Advocate

Organic

Mike Bernie (The Wine Front) "It is pitch-perfect, medium weight, highly perfumed, and shaped with beautifully ripe tannins. It’s delicious, but there is also a sense of detail and interest. The wine offers layers of red and blue fruits in perfume and palate, underpinned by savouriness."

Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate) "...it's a fruit-forward, mouthwatering bowl of mixed berries, including hints of blueberry, mulberry and raspberry. Yet while this medium to the full-bodied effort is open and soft, it's not unstructured, showing a core of resilient, ripe tannins and a long, juicy finish."

The Winemaker "A beautifully expressive aroma of Satsuma plums, black olives, rosewater and with a hint of aniseed. The wine tastes fresh and lively of pomegranate, cocoa, maraschino cherries and is complimented by Tempranillo’s characteristic coal dust tannin structure."

Gourmet Traveller Wine "The wines under the Corymbia label have been outstanding."

58% Tempranillo, 30% Malbec and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon

Gourmet Traveller Wine "Corymbia is one of the most exciting wine projects to emerge from Western Australia in a decade. The combination of a distinguished winemaking family, the reinvention of a much-maligned wine region, the unlocking of the potential of a mature vineyard and a general sense of creativity, have all contributed to a strong currency.

Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS). 

Corymbia is the newish project of Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann family, of course, are generational wine producers in WA, with a history of iconic wines and vineyards. Rob, formerly working with Hardys, Cape Mentelle and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley, has returned home and made a mark.

The family vineyard in Swan Valley is dry grown and organically farmed. While winemaking draws on the Manns’ suite of expertise and diversity of influences, it has been pared back for Corymbia, letting the fruit and character of the wines take the spotlight.

That Swan Valley has been put on a pedestal is wonderful, and a celebration of older vineyards, unique soil profile and a general sense of generational endeavor is exciting for the region. There’s an undercurrent of winemakers amplifying the region’s potential, but arguably Corymbia is the current totem."

Huon Hooke "The Mann family are winemaking royalty in Western Australia."

Corymbia is a new winery launched by one of the founding families of Western Australian wine. The Manns have grown grapes and made wine in the Swan Valley, Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region for over a century. Corymbia wines are critically acclaimed, organically-farmed, single-vineyard wines. Founder, Rob Mann is considered one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. He was the senior winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara, and Cape Mentelle, where during his ten-year tenure the winery was twice awarded 'Australia's Producer of the Year' and Rob 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'. Prior to founding Corymbia he was Senior Winemaker at LVMH’s Newton Vineyard in the Napa Valley.

Swan Valley is a sub-region of the Swan District wine region just north of Perth, in Western Australia. The Swan District is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, having been planted by English settlers soon after their arrival in 1829. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and today it's also home to the state's largest winery. Some of Western Australia's finest wines are produced in the Swan Valley.

1 x Pikes Traditional Riesling 2024 - Clare Valley, Australia

95/100 Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
95/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
94/100 James Suckling
93/100 Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
93/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
93/100 Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
Bronze - CellarTracker

5 Stars - Halliday Wine Companion
People Choice Award 2023

Vegan

Aaron Brasher, The Real Review "Lovely fragrant aromas of lemon, lime, bath salts, white flowers and feijoa. The palate has a real lushness of flavour, citrus, just-ripe stone fruit, lemon pith and talc. The acidity has a lively purity and drive and the length is really impressive. An outstanding wine and top value."

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "Beautifully fine and elegant, the wine shows lemon zest, crunchy apple and jasmine aromas on the nose, followed by a brilliantly focused palate delivering pristine fruit flavours with racy acidity. It’s mouth-watering and lingering with excellent fruit purity."

James Suckling "Wonderfully fragrant nose of lemon blossom, then juicy and vibrant on the sleek and super-straight palate, this is a prototypical Clare Valley dry riesling with a lot of lime fruit and a very zesty finish."

Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion "You could rationalise that Pikes’ Traditionale Riesling is a bellwether wine that gives drinkers a good indication of what to expect from Clare riesling each year. At times unnervingly reliable. The ’22 is good gear – juicy, bright, zingy with acidity, ticklish and brisk in acid profile with juicy green apple and pink grapefruit fruitiness set around skittish, laser-like tang. Scents are good too, with floral, citrus blossom and jasmine and whiffs of lime and grapefruit again in the mix. It finds a good balance between fruitiness, refreshment factor and tension, too. A great drink right here."

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front "It has body, it has flavour, it has lilt, it has length. Lime, apple and riverstone flavours ripple throughout, energetically for sure but with enough meander for you to have time to enjoy it. It’s racy but it’s more than that, and that’s its charm."

Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot "Exceptional value here in this Clare Valley Riesling which punches well above its weight with serious intensity of lime pith and wet stone aromas that are robust and forceful. The class is repeated on the palate with fantastic density of ripe fruit underpinned by firm acidity that drives a lengthy finish. Delicious now but has the power and integrity to also age well."

Pikes is a prestigious winery in South Australia's Clare Valley, established in 1984 by Neil and Andrew Pike, whose viticultural roots go back to the late 1800s. Situated in the picturesque Clare Valley, the Estate is comprised of approximately 100 hectares of rolling slopes in Polish Hill River, an eastern sub-region of the Clare Valley.
Known for its cool climate and diverse grape varieties, Pikes showcases premium wines with distinct characters and flavors due to the unique terroir and altitude.

After an almost 20-year career with Penfolds Wines and Southcorp Wine Group, Andrew joined Pikes on a full-time basis in 1998 to oversee viticultural operations and manage the growing family business.

Pikes is particularly renowned for its high-quality Riesling and other cool-climate wines, praised for vibrant acidity, citrus flavors, and exceptional aging potential. Whilst they are best known for world-class Riesling, they have been growing Shiraz and Cabernet for 35 years and have 20 different grape varieties planted on their estate, producing a wide range of wine styles to suit all tastes.

Pikes pride themselves on producing quality handcrafted wines, that reflect vintage, variety, and region. The Pike family has been producing quality wine, beer, and aerated waters in South Australia since 1886 it is a family tradition of which they should be very proud.

Their vineyards in Clare Valley grow various grape varieties, with a strong commitment to sustainable viticulture and environmental responsibility.

Their portfolio includes Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and unique blends, all crafted with a dedication to quality and craftsmanship. Over the years, Pikes has garnered numerous awards, establishing itself as a top producer in the Clare Valley, and gaining recognition both nationally and internationally for their excellent and consistent wines.

Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is – if the majority of top wine critics are to be believed – the world's finest white wine grape variety. The Riesling vine holds a very different place in the wine world to such great grapes as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay. While these immensely popular varieties have conquered every corner of the winegrowing world, Riesling is conspicuously absent from the core wine regions of France, Spain and Italy. Riesling's home is the regions that trace the middle Rhine and the lower Mosel, two of Europe's great wine rivers.