My 12 Bottle Wine Selectors Adventure

As you guys know, I collaborate with various wine companies, brands and industry people so I can bring you the latest and best products and news from the wine world. One of my recent adventures was working my way through a case of samples from the team at Wine Selectors and I must say, they definitely picked a selection my taste buds were impressed with!

So before we get stuck into my tasting notes, let’s delve into who Wine Selectors are and what makes these guys special.

Let’s get to know Wine Selectors

Wine Selectors is a website where you can buy wine online. They specialise in Australian wines and partner with over 400 wineries from around Australia. The thing which really stood out to me about their selection is that they source cellar door exclusives. Therefore a lot of their wines you can’t find at any old bottle shop.

Via their website you can either sign up for a wine plan or just shop as you go. You can buy by the case or by the bottle and they also have plenty of wine gift ideas too. Including their Wine tasting Party Kit which I gave a test run earlier this year.

Mixed cases start from $147 for 12 bottles, which is under $13 a bottle.

My tasting notes

There were some real gems in my case from Wine Selectors. You can find all my tasting notes below. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the team at Wine Selectors for collaborating with the TC!

As always: All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! 

Driftwood ‘the collection’ 2017 Chardonnay

Well hello WA wine, I miss you too! This lovely little bottle of 2017 ‘the collection’ Chardonnay from Driftwood Estate in Margaret River was in the samples pack I recently received from the team at @wineselectors. Thank you, guys! Margs is famed for producing awesome Chardy and I’m a bit of Chard lover so I knew this would be right up my alley. It’s a silvery gold colour on the eye. Notes of crisp fresh peaches & nectarines, lemon sorbet, vanilla honey and hints of passionfruit come through on the nose. While in the mouth it’s juicy with sweet tropical fruit flavours. Think creamy lychee and lemon flavours.

Hirsch Hill Estate 2015 Chardonnay

Next up on the @wineselectors adventure is this HirschHillEstate 2015 Chardonnay from VIC’s Yarra Valley. I was very intrigued to try this wine since it’s been described as ‘Chablis-like’.  In the glass, it’s a pale yellow colour with a very delicate and mellow nose. There are hints of minerality, nuts and vanilla bean. While in the mouth it has a certain elegance to it with notes of honey, blossoms and white peaches. Very enjoyable!

Hesketh 2015 Negroamaro

Have you tried a wine made from the Negroamaro grape variety? I received this sample from @wineselectors recently and couldn’t wait to give it a whirl. It’s an Italian grape which in Greek and Latin translates to ‘the blackest of blacks’. Only 255 cases of this wine were made. Here’s what I thought. It’s a deep garnet colour in the glass with a lovely fruity aroma. Think sweet cherries with hints of fennel and violets. In the mouth, it’s incredibly fresh and fruity and very food friendly. I really enjoyed this one!

Oliver’s Taranga 2016 Fiano

Next up on my Wine Selectors journey is this 2016 Fiano from Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards in McLaren Vale. On the front of the label, it says 2016 was the year they increased the harvesting speed of their tractor by 1km/hour. Did it make a difference guys? It’s a pale yellow shade in the glass. On the nose, there’s lemon zest, spiced pears and hints of florals and nuts. While in the mouth it’s crisp and fresh making it a great aperitif or palate cleanser. Yum!

Mitolo 2017 Vermentino

It’s great to see Wine Selectors stocking some of the lesser known grape varieties. I love a bit of Vermentino so this Mitolo Wines from McLaren Vale was a lovely surprise to find in the case they sent me to try out. Mitolo are well regarded for producing Vermentino. This specific one is exclusive to Wine Selectors. It’s a straw colour in the glass with dried flowers, wild honey and dehydrated navel orange pieces on the nose. In the mouth, it’s juicy and tastes like a bowl of delicate fruits decorated with edible flowers and drizzled with a hint of honey. Yummy!

Willow Bridge Estate 2016 Chenin Blanc

Next up on my Wine Selectors journey is this Willow Bridge Estate 2016 Chenin Blanc from Western Australia. My enjoyment for Chenin really grew during my 6 years living in Perth. It’s a variety I really enjoy whether it’s young or aged, still or bubbly. This one is a baby yellow colour in the glass. The nose is light and fruity with hints of chamomile and tropical fruit. While in the mouth it’s easy drinking with delicate flavours of freshly cut pineapple, melon and a squeeze of lemon & lime.

Shaw & Smith ‘Incognito’ 2015 Chardonnay

This is how geeky I am. When I first saw this bottle in my Wine Selectors case I thought about the Incognito private browsing mode in Chrome. Yep, a total online marketing geek. Incognito is a Shaw & Smith line of wines hailing from the Adelaide Hills. This 2015 Chardonnay is made by winemaker Adam Wadewitz. It’s a lemon-lime colour in the glass. While on the nose crisp stone fruit, vanilla citrus and some minerality come through. In the mouth, it has a good vibrancy of flavour with a wonderful lemon-honey creme brûlée-esque to it and a sprinkling of nuts to top it off.

Landhaus 2016 Arneis

Oh, how I love my Arneis! Wine Selectors hit the nail on the head putting this sample case together for me. Plenty of interesting wines to keep my palate entertained! Arneis is a white Italian wine grape variety originating from Piedmont, Italy. This example from Landhaus is made in SA’s Adelaide Hills region. It’s a light warm yellow colour in the glass. While on the nose it’s quite aromatic with notes of navel orange, pineapple, florals and hint of strawberry candies. In the mouth, it’s nice and dry with minerality and a floral-like mid-palate. Quite like a Riesling in my opinion but with a bit more tropical fruit. Delicious and interesting!

Monterra 2016 Nero D’Avola

Here is another tipple from my Wine Selectors sample box. This 2016 Monterra Nero d’Avola comes from the Fleurieu region in South Australia. It’s a ruby red colour in the glass with notes of raspberries, leather, red liquorice and a hint of spice on the nose. In the mouth, it has a decent amount of acidity with subtle flavours of blueberries and cherries alongside a little bit of leather. The flavour lingers in the mouth. A very approachable and food friendly vino!

K1 by Geoff Hardy 2016 Gruner Veltliner

I love my Gruners! The Gruner Veltliner grape variety is well known for its beautifully dry apple-ly wines in Austria. It’s great to see some planting’s here in Australia. This 2016 GV is made by K1 by Geoff Hardy in the Adelaide Hills. It was in my recent sample case from Wine Selectors and it went down very well. It’s a lemon & lime colour in the glass with crisp apples, pears and preserved lemon notes on the nose. While in the mouth it has a creamy custard-like smooth texture and is incredibly fresh, juicy and refreshing with some minerality in there too. Highly enjoyable!

Bleasdale 2015 ‘Second Innings’ Malbec

The next bottle of red in my Wine Selectors case is this bottle of Bleasdale 2015 ‘Second Innings’ Malbec from Langhorne Creek in SA. For both cricket and wine lovers alike. It’s a deep red colour with a purple tinge on the eye. The nose is full of plums, vanilla and oak. While in the mouth it’s juicy, fruity and elegant with soft, smooth blackcurrant and plums dominating for me.

Sam Miranda 2015 Sangiovese Cabernet

It’s Super King time! This bottle of Sam Miranda 2015 Sangiovese Cabernet from the King Valley (VIC) was in my recent Wine Selectors sample pack. There is also a very small amount of Durif in the blend to life the colour and mid-palate. In Italy, there are wines known as “Super Tuscan”. These wines from Tuscany are typically blends of the Italian Sangiovese grape with non-indigenous grapes, like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. This wine is your Aussie version of a Super Tuscan! It’s a deep maroon red shade in the glass. Earthy notes rise from the glass intertwined with juicy black fruits and cedar. While in the mouth it’s full of sweet cherries and spice with a sprinkling of vanilla. Medium bodied and pretty darn smashable if you ask me.

Yum, what a great adventure through some of the Wine Selectors many delicious wines!