letuffeau.com
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J.B & S.A.K Cooper Wines
Macedon Ranges
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“Joshua Cooper’s position in the Australian Wine Firmament is assured.
I have been pestering The Big Man for weeks about the release of his 2024 wines, having sampled them from barrel up at Cobaw a few months ago. Here we are then. All things are in their right place.
2024 will go down as a year for great Cabernet Sauvignon. The growing season was warmer and drier than the preceding years; yet had a longer, more evening ripening season free from disease pressure.
This is the single best set of wines Josh has hitherto produced. The Cabernet Sauvignons are simply remarkable.”
— David
~ please note : all orders by reply email ~
The Whites
I
Joshua Cooper 2024 Warrenmang Sauvignon Blanc ‘Pyren Vineyard’
(Shelf Price: $59.00)
Offer Price: $54.00
6-pack : $288.00 ($48/bottle)
“The warmth of 2024 shines through here in the tropical qualities on display, though overall this wine feels more compact than the 2023 rendition. Tart pineapple, guava, starfruit, papaya, and bitter orange rind mingle aromatically. Even while tropical, this wine maintains a refreshing, zesty quality on the nose. Further aeration tightens up the wine, revealing cooling mineral nuances. The palate bristles with energy, and there is a pleasing smashed quality to the fruit with a consequent phenolic presence. Further tropical fruits, some quince and quince skin, along with a hint of jalapeno (just like in Sancerre). Even more Sancerre-esque than the 2023, with echoes of Vatan.”
— David
II
Joshua Cooper 2024 Central Victoria Chardonnay ‘Dash Farms’
(Shelf Price: $89.00)
Offer Price: $79.00
6-pack : $432.00 ($72/bottle)
“The 2024 Dash Farms Chardonnay is a wine of reserve and poise. A faint line of reduction ensures its aromatic cards are held close to its chest. Insistent aeration brings charming aromas of confit citrus, pear oil, pressed white flowers, along with supporting marzipan nuances, to the fore. The palate is taut and fresh, with a surprisingly steely quality for 2024, though the acidity is fully integrated with full malolactic fermentation and the warm vintage acting in tandem. Upfront ripe pear and baked bread mingle with faint quince notes, yellow orchard fruit, and oak nuances. The finish has a delightful interplay between soft lactic elements and toasted bran.”
— David
The Reds
III
Joshua Cooper 2024 Central Victorian Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Dash Farms’
(Shelf Price: $65.00)
Offer Price: $59.00
6-pack : $324.00 ($54/bottle)
“Brighter, more forward than the other Cabernets in 2024. Bush garrigue, raspberry and dried plum skin; positively mineral and lean. Lunch Claret.”
— David (tasted from barrel)
“Deep, inky garnet. This vintage shows incredibly depth and vibrancy, with lavender, pen ink, violet and creamy cassis fruit filling the nose and a savoury, wild herb and graphite complexity in the background. Medium to full bodied, but fully flavoured and packed with fine fruit tannin, with just a seasoning of oak. Again, creamy cassis, red cherry and raspberry flood the mouth, with graphite and subtle crushed ivy lend intrigue, finishing powdery and dry.”
— Joshua Cooper
IV
Joshua Cooper 2024 Bendigo Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Blanche Barkley Old Vines’
(Shelf Price: $89.00)
Offer Price: $79.00
6-pack : $432.00 ($72/bottle)
“We are tasting these wines and Josh opines that the Blanche Barkley often appears as the ‘little brother’ of the Balgownie Old Vines. I only partly subscribe. Immensely alluring, the 2024 Blanche Barkley is redolent of sage and tarragon upfront, with black cherry and cherry liqueur coalescing behind. There are hints of faint mineral ores in the background. Medium-bodied, fresh, and with good drive, the palate here is elegant with fine tannins. Cherry repeats, along with fresh blackberry, those deeper-pitched herbs in including some marjoram and oregano, mineral nuances, and bitter dark chocolate. The close is sweet-fruited and surprisingly sensual.”
— David
V
Joshua Cooper 2024 Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Redbank 1970s Vines’
(Shelf Price: $98.00)
Offer Price: $88.00
6-pack : $468.00 ($78/bottle)
“Alright, this is a change of pace … This wine has the deepest-pitched spectrum of what we’ve tasted today, yet maintains freshness and vibrancy from lack of oak. Sweet dark plums (including plum skins), tobacco, roasted red capsicum, and clove. The palate is fresh and juicy, the tannins slightly sticky or tacky, but finishing with the elegance of steeped Orange Pekoe. The palate has further plums, jellied rosehips and bergamot, black tea, and cloves. Slightly more abrupt finish than the other wines, but fuller in spectrum.”
— David
VI
Joshua Cooper 2024 Bendigo Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Balgownie Old Vines’
(Shelf Price: $98.00)
Offer Price: $88.00
6-pack : $468.00 ($78/bottle)
“The Lafite of Central Victoria. The Balgownie takes the herbal nuances of its younger sibling, amplifies them, and sees them wrap around a dense but not altogether darker core of sweet cherry fruit. Extra dimensionality comes in the form of fresh bay laurel, ore-like mineral nuances, petrichor, and potently high-cocoa dark chocolate. I stress that none of this affects the inherent lightness of being of this wine. There is a sensation of aromatic completeness akin to a great perfume. Lifted and fresh on the palate, while conveying a sense of depth not apparent in the other 2024 Cabernets. The unique structural quality of the Balgownie site is on display; there is a stratified, geological feel to the tannins here which is difficult to convey. How else do I put it, the Earth is Square and the Heavens are Round; that is to say, everything is in order. Savoury, herbal nuances of sage and tarragon upfront, followed by red and black cherries, followed by preserve of the latter, followed by bitter
dark chocolate, cloves, followed by bay and earthy, mineral ore nuances. A procession.
This is the best wine Josh has ever made.”
— David
If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions — please let us know.