Description
Skin contact white wines, or 'orange' wines, or amber wines - whatever you call them, they can be some of the most pleasurable drinking experiences on the planet. The freshness of white wine, the depth and structure of red wine, the versatility of rose - this wine style has it all.
This mixed pack pits some of the best examples in the world against three hero examples from Australia. These wines are all made in very limited quantities so this pack will sell out in short order.
- 2022 Ruggabellus Sallio
- 2022 Ravensworth Seven Months
- 2022 Cullen Amber Wine
- 2022 Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli Tibaani
- 2021 Quenard Claude et Fils 1 er Recoltant
- 2021 Radikon Slatnik
2022 Ruggabellus Sallio
The 2022 Ruggabellus Sallio is a masterclass in a bottle for anyone keen to explore the fascinating world of skin contact white wines. Crafted by Abel Gibson, one of Australia’s most respected producers of amber wines, this blend of Riesling, Muscat, and Semillon strikes the perfect balance between complexity and pure drinkability.
The 2022 offering a beautifully judged blend of Riesling (52%), Muscat (40%), and Semillon (8%). These grapes hail from incredibly old vines, with some believed to date back to the 1850s—lending a rich heritage to this benchmark Barossan wine.
This vintage is particularly special, made up of three different years: 46% from 2019, 30% from 2021, and 24% from 2022, with a notably higher portion of Muscat. And you can taste it. The wine is bursting with aromatic intensity, delivering a beautiful balance between succulent fruit and savoury, nutty complexity. The few days of skin contact give it that signature texture without weighing it down, making it both refreshing and deeply interesting.
Expect layers of bright citrus, green apple, a hint of curry powder, and spicy ginger, all carried on a wave of crisp acidity. It’s complex but oh-so-drinkable, with a powdery, almost tactile mouthfeel that keeps you coming back for more. Mike Bennie awarded it a glowing 96 points, calling it "succulent, refreshing, spicy," and genuinely world-class in its style.
Sallio is the perfect companion for those looking to dive into the world of orange wines or just wanting a fresh, textural white that delivers on all fronts. Extremely limited - get in quick, this won't last long.
96 points
"So if you want to look at the most considered and best orange wines in the country, well, here you go... This is outstanding in its idiom. Succulent, refreshing. Spicy. Savoury. Nuts and ginger and curry powder and green apple. Refreshing and textural, indeed, powdery in its feel with juiciness and crispness too. Bright fruit, so much savouriness. It feels so well balanced in its elements yet doesn’t shy away from its skin contact largess and nutty, dusty elements too. Superb, with drinkability high, interest through the roof. Just so damn good. You’d put this up against the world greats of the oeuvre and not feel shy. I love drinking it."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2022 Ravensworth Seven Months
The Ravensworth Seven Months is one of Bryan Martin's favourite wines to make. Excitingly, this year, the 2022 release is all estate-grown fruit from Bryan's own vineyard in Murrumbateman.
The classic three-variety blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer fermented on skins in ceramic egg for seven months (hence the name), with this extended skin contact adding all sorts of colour, texture and complexity.
This year's might be the best to date, a glorious mouthful of fruit that's slippery, grippy, textural and thought-provoking.
93 Points
"A bright orange colour in the glass. Inviting. It does good chalky pucker and chomp with refreshing undertows of saline acidity. Amongst that, mandarin, dried citrus peel, pear, dried and fresh, lime and faint lychee. Yes, a fruitiness, prettiness even, but it works in tandem with more nutty savoury notes and the general tang of herbs and skin ferment zing. Attractive drinking in its genre."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2022 Cullen Amber Wine
Vanya Cullen, one of Margaret River's pre-eminent winemakers, taking on an amber or 'orange' wine here. How the times are changing in WA!
Vanya sees this as part of the natural progression of her winemaking exploration. For many years she has produced some of the region's best examples of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blends - in this wine, she explores the affect of extended skin maceration on the Sauvignon Blanc grape.
As usual, Vanya doesn't do things by halves. The fruit spent up to 9 days on skins in a mixture of amphorae and tank before being pressed.
She has produced a wonderful expressive orange wine here, full of textural intrigue and exotic aromatics. It's complex, detailed and finely executed - everything you might expect from one of Margaret River's finest.
2022 Pheasant's Tears Rkatsiteli Tibaani
Founded in 2005 by John Wurdeman and Gela Patalishvili, Pheasant's Tears is dedicated to reviving ancient Georgian winemaking traditions. Their vineyards, near the 6th-century Monastery of St. Stephen, span across several villages, focusing on rare white varietals.
The 2022 Rkatsiteli Tibaani, from the renowned Tibaani vineyard in Kakheti, showcases their mastery. Made from 100% Rkatsiteli grapes, this wine is fermented in traditional qvevri (clay amphora) for six months and aged in oak barrels, a modern evolution of the traditional clay-jar-only winemaking practice.
This amber-hued wine reveals aromas of fresh citrus, raw honey, and toasted grain. It shows fresh, clean flavours of green apple, apricot, and zesty acidity, balanced by a dry, savoury finish. A great example of the famous orange wines this country is world renowned for.
Perfect with roasted or grilled pork or poultry, this limited-quantity wine is a must-try for those exploring the unique flavours of Georgia’s winemaking legacy.
2021 Quenard Claude et Fils 1 er Recoltant
The 2021 Quenard Claude et Fils 1er Récoltant embodies the rugged alpine terroir of Savoie and the dedication of the Quenard family. Domaine de la Gerbelle, originally a Carthusian farm, transformed under Claude Quenard’s leadership in the 1960s to focus on viticulture. In the early 2000s, the next generation transitioned to organic and biodynamic practices, earning certification by 2016. Now, Vincent Quenard leads the domaine, blending tradition with fresh ideas while maintaining their commitment to low-intervention winemaking.
Crafted from Jacquère grown on 30-year-old vines, this wine benefits from Savoie’s unique climate—an alpine setting with Mediterranean influences, ideal for vibrant, complex wines. The grapes undergo a 20-day maceration before fermentation and are aged on fine lees for 12 months to develop depth and texture. The result is a wine that bursts with alpine herbs, citrus, and orchard fruit aromas, offering refreshing clarity with layers of texture from its lees ageing.
Vincent’s approach focuses on purity, with minimal intervention to let the terroir shine. The 2021 1er Récoltant captures the character of Savoie’s high-altitude vineyards while showcasing the forward-thinking spirit of this family-run domaine.
95 points
"This is very well resolved, skin fermented jaquere. All the bits fit in well, it is very complex, tannins are seamlessly woven through. It is a delight, and in that vein of ‘digestible wines’ that I tend to enjoy... everything just so and so well formed. It sits under medium weight so there’s high refreshment factor too. Really good here."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2021 Radikon Slatnik
Slatnik sees the marriage of two grapes grown on the Radikon slopes in Oslavia: Chardonnay & Sauvignon Vert (or the variety formerly known as Tocai Friulano).
Biodynamic farming underpins all that happens in the Radikon cellar and it makes for a sturdy base on which Sasa can build his meticulous and curious creations. This spends a shorter time on skins than the wines bottled under the Blue Radikon label, and it is a much shorter time before it is released to the public, however, the impact of the wine is none too different.
The key here is the freshness and liveliness that is rarely associated with Chardonnay made with skin contact. Typically orange Chardonnays can lack a little drive, certainly not the case in the hands of Sasa Radikon.
It's a full-noise amber wine that will thrill all lovers of the wine style.
| Price Bracket | $51 to $100 |
| Type | Amber |
| Size | 6 |
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