The Legit Wine Company, Perth (2025)

22/08/2025

Woah, sold out in a week! The Atalaya 'Alaya Tierra' is as unique as it is breathtaking. Likely to be the biggest, most powerful wine you try this year. A previous vintage (2000 I think) was rated #2 in Vivino's Top100 wines of the year. I forget the exact statistic however it was something like 6 million reviews of 2 million wines, and this came out 2nd from the top - no journo's, no judges, purely peer reviewed scores. Nuts.

This 2022 vintage was rated the highest rated Spanish wine in the Castilla / La Mancha region by Jancis Robinson, who had to say "100% Garnacha Tintorera. 50-yeara-old bush vines that grow at 1,000 m above sea level on limestone soils with some clay and gravel. This is one of the highest areas in the denomination. Aged for 15 months in new oak barrels. A great wine, orthodox, with power, sweet tannins and a lot of concentration. Primary fruit that is as dark as it is overwhelming. Modern, reminiscent of the style that became so popular in the USA in the 1990s: powerfuland with a lot of extraction. Great quality. Finishes with flavours of plum, black olive, sultana, cinnamon and sweet spices. 18/20" - The only wine out of the tasting to score 18.

To snag a bottle of this in the wild, hit up the good folk at Your Shout Liquor, Liquor Barons Morley , Porters Liquor Iluka , Boatshed Market, Boobook Bottles and Bar, Mane Specialist Bottleshop , Liquor Barons Hillarys, WindsorCellars, The Re Store

19/08/2025

Nice win for the Bodegas Atalaya 'El Vigia De La Atalaya' Organic Garnacha Tintorera recently at the Baco Awards! (http://www.premiosbaco.es/)

The Baco Awards, also known as Premios Baco, is Spain's longest-running wine competition, known for their strict blind tasting process and judging panel made up of winemakers, sommeliers, wine critics, and oenologists, all members of the Spanish Union of Tasters. It is the only wine show in Spain recognised by the OIV (www.oiv.int/) Importantly, rather than focusing on blockbusters (which we know Spain does better than most!) the competition seeks to highlight the quality, freshness and authenticity of young Spanish wines.

El Vigía de la Atalaya" was recognised as the Best Red Wine in Spain and received a 'Gran Baco de Oro'. The award-winning wine belongs to the 2024 harvest and is an example of the Gil family's project in Almansa, which seeks to highlight the possibilities Garnacha Tintorera (not Grenache, you may know it as Alicante Bouschet). The wine is organic certified and 100% Garnacha Tintorera.

Perfect for todays weather!

18/08/2025

PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT | Varney Wines |

This brand has been getting some time in the spotlight of late - a few consumer tastings followed by Urban Wine Walk at Sixty Cats on Saturday, so we thought it an apt time to focus in!

Alan Varney has completed vintages on both the east and west of the US, as well as Portugal. It was however a 10-year stint as a senior winemaker at d’Arenberg where Alan really cut his teeth. Through this role Alan formed relationships with some of the most sought after growers in McLaren, Adelaide Hills & Langhorne Creek giving him access to some of the best old vine material in the area.

Alan makes wine in small batches out of his tiny onsite winery - he strikes me as part winemaker part chef, with an uncanny understanding of his fruit resources and what is possible through the various winemaking interventions and blending.

Varney Wines were recognized by the James Halliday Wine Companion as ‘The Best New Winery of 2021’, as well as having two wines featured in the Top 100 wines of the same year. Since 2023 Alan Varney has been consistently rated in The Real Review ‘Top Wineries of Australia’ classification as well as being a Top50 Finalist for ‘Peoples Choice’ at the Young Gun of Wine awards.

In Alan’s words: “My winemaking approach is traditional yet sensitive. I am not afraid to step out of the box and go with my intuition. I utilise whole bunch and/or whole berry addition, extended cold soaks, indigenous yeast, submerged cap, foot treading, and extended as well as carbonic maceration – whatever the fruit calls for really. I only use old seasoned oak with no fining or filtration. I make my wines out of a new, environmentally sensitive winery I built located at the Gateway to McLaren Vale overlooking the beautiful rolling hills of the Onkaparinga Gorge”

(some of) The wines:

Varney Fiano 2025 - This is a single vineyard expression coming off a site in Langhorne Creek. Its built up a built of a following since inception and is always the first wine to sell out each year. Total production this year was 420 doz, the biggest so far. It sees 24 hours on skins, some oxiditive handling and wild fermentation in oak with lots of lees stirring. It's freakin delicious with lots of green apple, green melon, lemongrass as well as some more exotic spices. The winemaking input has resulted in complexity and texture, though its still moreish and sessionable.

Varney Mencia 2024 - This has consistently been rated as the best iteration of the variety in Australia, the feature for me in the body and mouthfeel of this wine - its super fine b***d and has a sort of bitter astringency, in the best way. Its full of dired herbs and peppery spices. Excellent wine.

Varney GSM 2022 - This comes of some of the top sites in Blewitt Springs and greater McLaren Vale - lots of old bush vines goodness. Multiple vineyards, multiple picks, multiple winemaking treatmeants ranging from destemmed to whole bunch cabmac. Jeez you could write an endless tasting note for this - every time you go back to it you see more complexity, earthy, irony, mineral notes combining with a trove of fruit derived notes.

04/08/2025

This likely pair spotted in Ray Jordan Wine's Top 100 Reds of 2025 in the weekend rag 🗞 You can't go far wrong with either of these crackers from Cirillo 1850 Estate & Fervor Wine - the yummy factor is ranking seriously high on both wines!

04/08/2025

Next Wednesday, the one and only Marco Cirillo will be on the tools at Powells Fromagerie and Wine Bar talking all things old vine and Barossa!

This is the only consumer event for this years visit, so head on over to Powells page to secure your ticket!

01/08/2025

Who managed to cop tickets to the upcoming Urban Wine Walk in ? 🍷🚶🚶‍♀️

We'll be at Sixty Cats pouring some goodies from Varney Wines!

01/08/2025

Pumped by be dropping the 2022 Varney Wines GSM this week! Just as France has their Cote Du Rhone's (Grenache blends made in a light fruit forward style) & Chateauneuf du Pape (Grenache blends made in a full bodied complex style), Australia has our GSM's and our, erm, GSM's. Some made in a juicy banger style, some masterfully blended using old vine fruit and are rich, layered and supremely complex.

Varney's iteration is in the GSM style, ah, erm, the latter. Alan is a master blender if there ever was one. Fruit comes of sites in Blewitt, Seaview & Clarendon - gnarly old bush vines, multiple picks at various baume which see cold soaking, extended time on skins (up to 28 days), and varying degrees of bunch inclusion. Its been cited as the best in the land and I don't disagree.

Here's some words from James Suckling dotcom " “I cited this as the finest GSM in Australia a number of years ago. While subsequent vintages have been good without being stellar, this is a proud return to form. A mandala of spicy tannins serve as the base for blue and black fruit, cloves, white pepper, tapenade, iodine and scrub. A poised and profound wine, but dangerously easy to drink. Fine Stuff. Drink or hold.” 95 Points.
Pouring now at Emily Taylor Fremantle, The Heritage Perth and Le Vivant. or you can snag a bottle from the legends at Commune Wine Store or

30/07/2025

Today we answer the ancient riddle, Is the glass half full or half empty. Well, its neither, its filled to the appropriate level to allow maximum swishy swishy and to let the aromas to unfurl. Moreover, if the bartender asks you 'would you like a small or large glass', you're probably drinking in the wrong establishment. Now that you have transcended, a better question to ask yourself is 'what's in the glass?', and in this case it just happens to be a wintery treat from : the 'Gota de Arena' organic from which just happens to have landed in Fremantle port TODAY! Coming to a appropriate filled glass near you soon!

28/07/2025

This cold weather can't last forever! Spritz season is around the corner and we have a heap of different artwork from the OG's at Zonzo available. If you'd like to brighten up your storefront with some spritzy goodness, reach out and we can discuss and present some options for you!

21/07/2025

PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT | Vinteloper | HE'S BACK!

We've just returned from a blue and sunny Adelaide Hills, so it seems like an ideal moment to announce - that we're absolutely stoked to be bringing back our old mate David Bowley's cracking SA vino's the the West!

Most of you won't be a stranger to these wines. With the ethos of "Fun on the outside, serious in the bottle" that's exactly what these wines are - impeccably crafted single vineyard wines made with a sense of exploration. We originally introduced this brand to the Perth market back in 2013, which was a bit of a golden era for 'new age' wineries popping up. Since then Dave's amassed a impressive trophy cabinet, countless peoples choice awards at , bought a vineyard, lost vineyard and cellar door to bushfires, risen from the ashes and built one of the Hills funkiest cellar doors, and continued to build one of SA's top progressive wine brands. That's a f*ck tonne of work. Just sayin....

THE WINES

Vinteloper Pinot Gris 2024 | This wine has stayed true to form and style for a decade now - It sees significant winery interventions with a bit of cold soaking plus a portion of skinsy ferment in oak. Impressively it took out the Top Gold at this years International Cool Climate Wine Show (that's their equivalent of varietal trophy). Its a crunchy and weighty wine with a little pearly/copper hue. Yum.

Vinteloper 'Skins' 2023 | This is a fun coferment of Gris/Gewurz that saw 7 days on skins, blended with a swig of Riesling. It's a perfect on-prem sessionable Skinsy with a fruit salad vibe and some sort of turkish delight notes. This is not a 'natty' style, its a moreish and fun wine that would sing with the right food.

Vinteloper 'Park Red' 2023 | This fridge red is 100% Shiraz of the home vineyard, fermented as whole bunch cabmac with no oak. Its got a lovely impression of sweet fruit and 'erbal stemmy notes. Its a slurpable and complex fridge red, giving the fridge category a bit more respect with a flavorsome/intriguing example rather than a overly simple quaffer.

Vinteloper Pinot Noir 2023 | This is really the wine that VLP is known for and as per the Gris it's stayed true to form and style for a decade now. Its light on its feet and quite translucent in colour, yet the flavour, intensity and complexity are bang on. Rhubarby, cherries, earth, baking spice, some leesy texture. Impressively this took out the big gong - Best Red Wine, at the International Cool Climate Wine Show this year. That's up against the big guns from Tasi, Yarra, Mornington as well as a swag of imports from Italy and France. Certified banger this is.

We'll have these out and about in the following weeks, sing out if you'd like a taste!

11/07/2025

PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT | Swan Valley Wines | REAL RECOGNISE REAL

Time for another deep dive into one of our legendary producers, SVW! With Paul & Bree about to drop the new vintages what better time.

We've worked with Swan Valley Wines for what must be close to a decade now, and have watched these wines circumnavigate that 'natty wine' trend, staying 100% true to their roots. SVW are the realest of the real - zero zero wines and organic practices in the vineyards that go far beyond the norm and what the certification bodies dictate. It's unfortunate that a lot of johnny-come-lately's co-opt the movement towards more honest and raw wines with poor examples or 'fakes' (conventional wines dressed as natural) but that's the reality unfortunately.

Arguably, it may be better to look at these as 'preservative free organic wines'. The brand is 100% farmed by Paul & Bree - all fruit is either off their estate (did someone say 1913 Chenin plantings?), or farmed by lease agreement, meaning they have complete control from vine to bottle. No copper or sulfur is used in the vineyards (as organic permits) rather, if needed, some secret concoctions of essential oils and other wizardy.

In the winery, all wines are 100% grapes, naturally fermented in traditional vessels (concrete, tank, qvevri) and bottled without additions.

DROPPING SOON!:

2023 VIGNACOURT RED - This is a cracking example coming off a important heritage site planted in 1920. A blend of Cabernet and Shiraz

2024 CLARUM GRENACHE - This years Clarum saw a little addition of old vine Mataro and was raised in a mixture of Qvevri & Puncheons

2024 'BIANCO' - This is a ripper little blend of many of the valleys important and lesser know varietals. Its textural and slurpable.

2023 'HERITAGE' - This was a peoples fave last year - Grenache and Shiraz using tradition submerged cap fermentation in concrete.

Plus we still have some of the OG 'Skins' Chenin, and the mind blowing 'Tank Half Full' Flor wine

Dropping iminently!

04/07/2025

A couple of weeks back Mike Garland of Fervor Wine & Terry of The Next Hundred Years travelled to Singapore to present a series of masterclasses to trade and media there - spreading the good word of the quality and breadth of the Great Southern wine industry. Great to see this international exposure, for what we know in Australia is one of the finest and most diverse regions in our land and pumping out absolute world class vino!

The Legit Wine Company

22/08/2025

19/08/2025

18/08/2025

04/08/2025

04/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

30/07/2025

28/07/2025

21/07/2025

11/07/2025

04/07/2025

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