Time to show a little love to second-generation winemaker Tom Daniel, one of a handful of new-wave producers breathing new life into the Swan Valley, WA’s oldest grape-growing region. Tom grew up on his family’s micro-batch winery, and most of the fruit now goes into his own Chouette Wine project, which debuted in 2018.
Drinkability is the byword in these wines, and they’re just so darn easy to like…spry and fresh-faced yet nuanced and textural all the same. Incredible value for money to boot, too, given we’re talking old vines, hand processing and careful maturation in concrete, Slavonian oak foudres and ceramic. Old school meets new school in all the right ways.
This release finds lots of old favourites back in action, including the berry-bright Rocket pet nat, cherry-driven Spezzato Rosado and the quaffable Oranjou – a juicy, mandarin-scented skin-contact wine built for everyday pleasure. Grenache continues to be a strong suit as well, both in the bone-dry Bonnie rosé and red-fruited, ultra-chillable Suzy Rouge. There’s also a new white blend in town, Tempero, that’s all tropical perfume, fleshy stone fruit and gingery spice. We like.