O'Leary Walker Wines - Clare Valley, South Australia

We are really pleased to be finally able to introduce our customers to these winemakers' talents. When we initially found them, all their wines were snapped up by their home market, but with the growth and development of their business, we are now able to offer these wonderful wines over here.

David O'Leary and Nick Walker both have a love of winemaking, a desire to create something exceptional and a strong affinity with the Australian wine industry.
After working for large companies for twenty years and amassing over 300 gold medals and 60 trophies (including a Jimmy Watson and twice International Red Wine Maker of the Year), David and Nick had achieved just about everything that a winemaker could.
A new challenge beckoned and David and Nick's belief in their winemaking skills and their confidence in the fruit and the vineyards available to them was the catalyst for them to establish their own venture based in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley.
They're based at Leasingham, just south of Watervale, but they do not limit themselves to producing just Clare Valley wines. They also source fruit from other premium grape growing districts in South Australia such as Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley.
O'Leary Walker is a relatively new winery on the scene which has rapidly gained a reputation for producing award winning regional wines.

Click here to visit their page on our site: O'Leary Walker Wines

Shop Top Sellers

As usual a very mixed range of wines. The Rose Champagne sneaked into the list due, no doubt, to the local romantics!
So in no particular order, here are the wines that were the 10 most popular from the shop. (Click on the link to go to the wine in question which opens on a new page and close page to return here):

Pic St Loup - Ch. de Valflaunes - Esperance. Red £8.95
Cotes du Rhone - Dom. de Boissan - Princes d'Orange. Red £6.95
St. Chinian - Dom de Gabelas - Tradition. Red £5.95
Bandol - Dom Gros Nore - Rouge 2000 £14.95
St. Emilion, Bordeaux - Ch. Franc La Rose Grand Cru Red £14.95
Mentou Salon, Loire - Dom. Pierre Jacolin White £8.95
Jurancon - Dom. Clos Thou - Cuvee Julie (sweet) White £8.95 (50cl)
Champagne - Michel Weynand Premier Cru Rose £19.50
Macon Villages - - Domaine Auvigue - Le Moulin du Pont White £6.95
Mixed case of 6 - from our "6 for £36" bucket (normal price £41.70) £36

Cheers!

Domaine du Gros' Nore - Brilliant Bandol

Domaine du Gros‘ Noré, Bandol
Alain Pascal


Although it has been said that Bandol produces the most serious red and rosé wines in Provence, it is still relatively unknown.

Domaine du Gros‘ Noré is situated on the outskirts of the picturesque Provençal hilltop village of La Cadière d’Azur between Marseille and Toulon, the prime Var region, set back from the hustle of the coast.
Owner Alain Pascal has 16 hectares of fairly old (averaging about 30 years old) vines. His first official vintage was released in 1997.
Prior to this, Alain’s father, Honoré, (his name is shortened to ‘Noré to give the name of the domaine as Gros‘ Noré meaning Big Honoré) worked the vineyards but never made his own wine. Instead he sold the grapes to the leading Bandol producer, Chateau de Pibarnon, while his son Alain, who has always been passionate about wine, when he wasn’t boxing, produced micro-cuvées of wines for his own interest.
Mourvèdre is the predominant grape: an exciting grape variety when it is grown in climates that are warm enough for it to ripen fully, capable of producing meaty, spicy reds, often with a slightly 'animal' nature.
As well as Mourvèdre (80%), the Gros‘ Noré red also has a little Cinsault (15%) and old vine Carignan (5%). All harvested by hand. It is aged for 18 months in 60 hl wooden barrels (foudres). Only one cuvée of red wine is produced, and it is bottled without fining or filtration. This well balanced wine can be cellared for up to ten years or equally enjoyed now and has been listed in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Most Exciting Wines.
The rare white wine is made from Clairette (70%) and Ugni Blanc (30%), while the delicate but aromatic rosé is from Mourvèdre (40%), Grenache (20%) and Cinsault (40%).
Overall, production is about 60,000 bottles, of which 75% of this is red, 20% rosé and just 5% white.This is a domaine that has captured our hearts with the stunning quality of wine, warmth of welcome and beautiful location. They also have reception and dining rooms for hire and when picking a place to celebrate my 40th birthday this was an obvious choice and many thanks must go to Alain Pascal for a wonderful celebratory meal second to none in location and quality of sea food!!

Chateau de Valflaunes - Top Pic St Loup wine

Château de Valflaunès

Pic Saint-Loup - Fabien Reboul


Decanter magazine described talented Fabien Reboul as 'one of a new generation of stars in Pic St Loup', a northern area of Languedoc that is blessed with a wild beauty that carries through to its wines.
Reboul accumulated his wine-making experience through his extensive travels through Côtes du Rhône, Burgundy (Corton Charlamagne), Oregon and the Dry River winery in New Zealand, before returning to his native village, Valflaunès due north of Montpellier, to make his first wine in 1998.

We had to wait for twelve months to get our hands on this tranche of wines, his Espérance cuvée (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan), and then waited a further eight months to get the top cuvées (T'EM T'EM, Syrah and Grenache and Un peu de Toi, Syrah and Carignan), which is made in such small quantities that the majority is snapped up by the home market well before it is even in barrel. But it was certainly worth waiting for! (A word of advice for anyone visiting the Domaine - beware the neighbour's dogs!)

Craggy and remote Pic St-Loup, in the north of the Côteaux du Languedoc region, is where Château de Valflaunès has about 13ha (32 acres) of vines; half of those being syrah. Fabien Reboul is totally dedicated to his art of producing smooth, richly concentrated and fruity red wines and he strives to be the best. His obvious passion in all things vinous and his friendly welcoming nature makes him a charismatic man and we are delighted to have his wines on our list.

Espérance is consistently at the top of our best sellers in our shop in Larkhall.