letuffeau.com
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~ “Whether it’s down to this very special rift of dirt or not, these wines are simply incredible.” ~
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
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~ STOP PRESS : HEATHCOTE BARGAIN ~
Osicka Selection 2024 Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Colbinabbin’
(Shelf Price: $35.00)
Offer: $29.00
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“A lovely nose of cassis and some crushed strawberry, wrapped in bay and grilled rosemary, eucalypt, and baked earth.
Simple, classic. Medium bodied, fresh, and with a sensation akin to surging, this wine races across the palate and closes with a slight glimmer of tannin, over before you can blink but without ever being hollow, pinched, or dilute.
A very fine wine to drink with friends when you don't want to overcomplicate matters.”
— David & Nick
Jasper Hill
Heathcote
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“I probably do not strike most of you as a Jasper Hill drinker.
Truth be told I am not, at least regularly.
However, when I do open a bottle, especially an older one, and sink into the depths of a pre-Cambrian sofa in front of the fire on a cold night … I think I am right at home. Tremendous comfort in a bottle.
These are rightful classics: wines that reflect a deep love for soil and climate; (even now, the growing season being hotter than in ‘75) faithful renditions of serious practices - in the vineyard and in the cellar.”
— David
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~ please note : discounts are automatically applied at the digital check-out! ~
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“In his former life Ron Laughton worked for Kraft and has a scientific background in food technology. Then in one of those life changing moves he left the corporate / city life to head for the country and a more natural way of existence. The Jasper Hill estate has been wholly organic and dry grown since he and his wife Elva put down vines on their own rootstocks in Heathcote back in 1975/6. By 1998 they were practicing biodynamics. Acid has never been added to the wines. Because it isn’t naturally produced, Ron doesn’t even subscribe to Stelvin closures. He doesn’t like cork taint either so he gets round the problem by buying the best corks that he can. Today with daughter Emily on board … [as winemaker], the family makes … around 3500 cases. “My aim in life is not to make the world’s best wine but to make wines that represent their place and season,” Ron told me during my visit. If you’re a non-believer in Australian terroir, take a look at the unique styles of Heathcote Shiraz coming fr
om the Georgia’s Paddock and Emily’s Paddock vineyards, on soils derived from Cambrian age rock (500 million years old). Whether it’s down to this very special rift of dirt or not, these wines are simply incredible.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
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Jasper Hill 2025 Heathcote Riesling ‘Georgia’s Paddock’
(Shelf Price: $49.00)
Offer: $39.00
“A savoury, alternate take on Australian Riesling.
Complex and intriguing aromatically, first: salted lemon peel and lemon balm, crystalised pineapple; then nuts; then pineapple sage, verbena, beeswax, dried honey; then yellow mango skin, Tahitian Lime, cinnamon, pomelo pith. There is a great interplay here between the first elements (savoury), the second (candied and saline), the third (herbal), and the fourth (tropical). Entrancing, for sure. The palate is soft, understated; round in structure with fleshy fruit building to a satisfying balanced crescendo of acid and phenolics before a soft and foral-inflected finish. There is an intriguing textural opulence, near creaminess, here akin to beef tallow that is most enjoyable. Further variations on the initial four themes are then presented: salted pastry representing the binding of the first two, then the third: vanilla pod and honeysuckle; the fourth: Quay Lime pie and candied pineapple. I am not sure there is a Riesling like this in Australia, maybe anywhere. Fine, different.”
— David
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“The 2025 Georgia's Paddock Riesling leads with a savory, saline nose littered with pistachio husks, scratched citrus zest, verbena and wax. In the mouth, the wine is light and fine; it traverses the palate with an effortlessness that is most attractive and coasts through the long finish. It's not piercingly intense, as I recall the last vintage tasted being, yet it is similarly impressive for its levity and poise. 11.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.”
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92pts — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Order here
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II
Jasper Hill 2024 Heathcote Shiraz ‘Georgia’s Paddock’
(Shelf Price: $114.00)
Offer: $90.00
“Fully opaque ruby tending violet, with distinct regally violet trimming on the edges where the light dimly penetrates. The heart of darkness: ‘Mistah Kurtz - he dead.’
Sweet Maduro cigar wrapper, creme de cassis liqueur, panforte studded with orange peel, and bitter chocolate all percolate through the darkly alluring aromatic profile; yet, there is also a sensation of lightness, perhaps an earthy, ore-like mineral touch that lends freshness. Aeration brings further gems from the ground: sweet spice and pipe tobacco, toasted hazelnuts, cooked plum, and hints of anise and hoisin. The palate, coming almost as a shock, is fresh and vibrant - youthfully vigorous with structuring, cut-from-stone tannins that refine to fine granularity. There is a fanning out here that is simply marvellous. At the heart of all this structure is a sumptuousness, the velvet fist in the iron glove. Chocolate, hazelnuts, panforte, crushed blackberry, espresso roast coffee grounds all make up the core, with complexifying notes of bay, anise, and orange rind. There is a sensuousness here that will be fully revealed in a decade. Very fine indeed.
This is a powerful and ripe wine that manages to be perfectly balanced, hiding its alcohol with sumptuous mouth feel and conveying a strong sense of place - the ancient Cambrian soils shining through. Needs time or a musty sofa and glowing embers on a chilly night.”
— David
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“The 2024 Georgia's Paddock Shiraz is excellent. This is high-octane drinking, yet there is fruit clarity on the middle palate and loads of flavor tucked into every spect of the wine. It's fresh and supple, with a layered volume of fruit in the mouth that spans across black berries and blood plums, then moves into dark chocolate and exotic spices and touches on forest floor and peat as well. The tannins are graphite-y and fine. All in all, this is an excellent wine.”
(Link)
95pts — Erin Larkin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Order here
(Link)
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The new Le Tuffeau
2026
This week, by the glass
Camin Larredya 2023 Jurancon Sec 'La Part Davant'
Domaine Tempier 2024 Bandol Rose
Protero 2019 Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo 'Capo'
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Please join us for a drink soon. Reservations preferred.
Bookings and after-6.00pm access: (03) 9419 3867
Tue. 11.00 am–6.00 pm
Wed.–Sat. 11.00 am–11.00 pm
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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.