Upon a visit to the Whistler winery last October, I was given a first look at the brand-new Estate Shiraz, Shiraz-Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon. I was so impressed by their elegance and definition of fruit, not to mention the evident quality of the brilliant 2021 vintage, that I knew that I had to secure some stock for members.
The Whistler winery was planted by ex-Head Vineyard Manager of Penfolds, Martin Pfeiffer and his wife Sally in 1994. It has gone from strength to strength over the years and is now run by Martin and Sally’s son, Sam, along with his wife Kelsey and with the help of one of Australia’s most exciting winemakers, Michael J. Corbett. Martin was the last of only three people given permission by Penfolds to take cuttings of shiraz from their iconic Grange vineyards to plant his own. These vines still make up a key part of the winery’s Estate vineyards today.
Aside from being some of the most wonderful and kind people in wine, Sam and Kelsey have steered Whistler from strength to strength, most recently with a revamp of their top-tier Estate range; the three wines that it is an honour to be able to offer to Wine Society members as a global first refusal.
These wines are being offered as a First Release, giving you the chance to order them before they reach the UK. These finished wines are ready to be shipped (unlike en primeur wines, which are still maturing), at their opening in-bond price: when they arrive, the decision of when to take delivery or drink them is yours.
All three of these wines represent remarkable value for the quality. This winery may not be so well known in the UK just yet but are highly regarded in the Barossa, with the viticulturist of Torbreck remarking to me what a fantastic site Whistler are planted on. They also have a great reputation in their local market.
These are precisely the sort of wines that excite me as a buyer for The Wine Society and it is a privilege to have such a good relationship with the Pfeiffer family to gain access to this newly imagined Estate Range, even before their official release in Australia. I believe that, following Sam and Kelsey’s inheritance of the winery, and with the help of Michael J. Corbett’s meticulous winemaking, a name that we will be seeing much more of on the global fine wine stage.
Freddy Bulmer
Buyer for Australia
This offer will close at midday on 26th January. Orders will then be entered into an allocation system and confirmations of successful orders will be sent out by 31st January at the latest. The wine will be delivered in spring 2023.