News
-
Producer Spotlight - Five Vineyard (Plenty)
Never thought I'd writing about a winery in Mernda, the home of 'value' house and land packages, but here we are!
The Valla family began planting vines on the family cattle farm in 2019 with the focus on Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. Predictable enough but of course these varieties have a proven track record in this part of the world. Five Vineyard doesn't sit in any particular GI although it is ~5km from the western boundary of the Yarra Valley and 10km east of the Sunbury region.
A recent tasting with Sam Valla proved to be quite the eye opener. I didn't have huge expectations (young vines, unproven terrior) but happy to report that I was taught a lesson on making assumptions (again!). The Estate Range, in particular, demonstrates a well handled balancing act of value, drinkability and competent winemaking.
The standout was the Reserve Shiraz 2022 $54, built from vines a mere 3yrs old (first commercial crop). Juicy fruit that never mis-steps with mineral streaks and great purity and lift. More than a hint of Craiglee here I reckon (true dinks!).
Five Onyx Chardonnay 2024
Tangy and fresh; light touch, citrus; harmless and works at the price.Five Vineyard 'Estate' Chardonnay 2024 $27
Bigger in the palate; some softness from malo and oak. Good going,Five Reserve Chardonnay 2024
Barrel selection; 4 barrels; some cream and bigger body; nice softness and fruit sweetness; quite handy.Onyx Rose 2024
Not 'dry dry' but perhaps close enough. Fruit weight builds late. 87Five Rose 2024
Less fruit, dry but maybe lacks a little character? 87Estate Pinot Noir 2024 $27
First commercial vintage. Sweet early but firms with savoury notes. Very crowd pleaser but a decent wine.Estate Sangiovese 2024
Fruit forward; needs more varietal character to be truly interesting. Needs more structure but as a easy drinking red works ok.Onyx Shiraz 2023
Light, juicy, uncomplicated. Fair going at the price.Estate Shiraz 2024 $27
Firmer, slightly more structure; darker fruits. -
Good Soul Wines Newsletter #3 - June 2026
A strong focus on Victoria for this edition. Lethbridge doesn't always get coverage in any 'best of Geelong' discussion but they should. Super solid Chard, Pinot Noir and Shiraz has always been the base but the net has been cast further west to access some high quality Gris and Riesling fruit from Henty.
We've also put 2 impressive Yarra Valley Chards to the test and thankfully they both came out on top. As a retailer I would say that wouldn't I!!
Thanks for reading..................
Producer Spotlight - Lethbridge (Geelong) - 15% Discount for $300+ spend
“In the 2026 Companion, Philip Rich accorded the submissions 14 gold medal scores, and if you consider that they also make compellingly distinct sparkling wine under the Nadeson Collis banner, you could add three more to the tally. Lethbridge is a treasure trove of brilliantly individual wines.” Top 100 Wineries 2026, Halliday Wine Companion
Lethbridge, along with regional pioneer Bannockburn, is far and away our favourite Geelong producer. Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis were both successful medical researchers before succumbing to their desire to create a vineyard and winery in Geelong. They planted vines on their own rootstocks, built a straw-bale winery and house, and farmed the land according to biodynamic beliefs. Their wines are powerful, structured, pure and long-lived.
Organically & Biodynamically Managed
-
Vigneron of the Year - Stephen Pannell (The Real Review Awards 2026)
"The Pannell wines are exemplary across the board, and there is a confirmed vigneron ethos at S.C.Pannell as all of the top wines come from estate vineyards. He’s a vigneron through and through." The Real Review
A great addition to what is now a very crowded 'pool room'! Stephen is also a two-time Jimmy Watson winner, HWC 'Winemaker of the Year' recipient and a serial McLaren Vale 'Bushing King'. Far out!
The accolades still arrive thick and fast; in the past 12 months, Steve achieved a perfect 100-point score for his Sunrise 99 Grenache and Koomilya was named Halliday Wine Companion Shiraz of the Year.
We love the wines and always have a decent listing on the website.
"This 111 clone Nebbiolo is pretty, pink & delicate, with aromas of blood orange, pomegranate, pink rose petals, pink peppercorns, pickled strawberry, alpine meadows, autumn leaves & the faintest whisper of sage. On the palate, all those notes flow seamlessly, joined by an added dimension of roasted chestnuts & musk that provide depth & backbone to the finish. The texture unfurls slowly: lacy tannins supported by seductive acidity bringing complex refreshment. There’s a trance-like state to its poise, giving way to a quiet reveal—graceful, generous, & deeply complex." Stephen Pannell
A single-block Shiraz from 33-year-old vines grafted onto Gewürztraminer planted in 1974. Grown on slaty siltstone with laminated ironstone rubble at an altitude of 116m, facing south. This is the most isolated of the three blocks.97ptsProducer Spotlight - Lethbridge (Geelong) - 15% Discount for $300+ spend
“In the 2026 Companion, Philip Rich accorded the submissions 14 gold medal scores, and if you consider that they also make compellingly distinct sparkling wine under the Nadeson Collis banner, you could add three more to the tally. Lethbridge is a treasure trove of brilliantly individual wines.” Top 100 Wineries 2026, Halliday Wine Companion
Lethbridge, along with regional pioneer Bannockburn, is far and away our favourite Geelong producer. Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis were both successful medical researchers before succumbing to their desire to create a vineyard and winery in Geelong. They planted vines on their own rootstocks, built a straw-bale winery and house, and farmed the land according to biodynamic beliefs. Their wines are powerful, structured, pure and long-lived.
Organically & Biodynamically Managed
Head to Head - Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2024
I was fortunate enough to try the Lambert and Salo 24s recently as a side-by-side comparison. Both wines retail in the mid 40s to mid 50s bracket so I guess they could be called 'mid-market' these days.
To me 2024 seems like a more expressive and powerful chardonnay vintage, not double helped by the fact 2023 was very cool and bordering on cold which result in crisper and more subtle profiles.
Although Luke Lambert is no longer the winemaker at Denton he still sources fruit from the stunning granite infused slopes from this site b/w Yarra Glen and Healsville. All fresh fruit here, seemingly simple at first, but progressively works through the complexity gears. Little to no oak impact. This is immediately atractive and ready to drink.
Salo is a real personal favourite of mine and a strong contender for most under-rated white wine from the whole of the Yarra Valley. The wine is the result of a colab project between Dave Mackintosh (Afrion) and Steve Flamsteed (Giant Steps, Eldredge). Fruit is sourced from the Full Moon vineyard in Gladysdale, located in an elevated area in the south of the Valley. The wine is somewhat more controlled and structured than the Lambert and again mininal oak impact. No doubt elevation is talking here as the cooler site has likely knocked the juicy edges off the. Taking into account structure this appears to have good cellaring prospects and I'd recommend drinking from late 2027+.