Log in for prices and ordering

Another Level: “The Best Crudo Wines We’ve Ever Made” [Luke Lambert]

Another Level: “The Best Crudo Wines We’ve Ever Made” [Luke Lambert]
“There’s no comparison,” Luke says, “there’s never been a Crudo release like this”. Luke Lambert is not one to indulge in hyperbole, nor is he overstating the quality in bottle. The 2022 Crudo release sets a new high-water mark for this label, one that Lambert aims to maintain. This is neither happenstance nor luck. Firstly, last year Luke stopped all consultancy winemaking work to dedicate his focus solely to Lambert Wines. Secondly, there is now a singular source of fruit from a vineyard also operating on another level, farmed to the same high standards that Luke and his partner Rosalind employ at their own site in the Yea Valley.  
 
Luke has been making wine from the granite-rich Denton Vineyard for over 10 years. About four years ago, the farming modus operandi at this unique site was overhauled and the ensuing years have seen dramatic viticultural investment. Focused on improving soil health through under-vine cultivation and the elimination of herbicides, Denton’s progressive and time-consuming intervention is already paying great dividends; the soils are healthy, alive and rich in organic matter, resulting in the kind of pristine, balanced fruit that would have been a pipe dream even a few years ago.
 
The musician in Luke comes out when describing the marked effect these changes have had on quality and style. “The Crudo wines have always had lots of treble, now they have bass”. Loosely translated as: the wines can now count on more depth and structure to accompany their charm and perfume.
 
Although poor flowering affected the Yarra’s flagship variety of Pinot Noir in 2022, the Crudo grapes—Chardonnay and Shiraz—sailed through relatively unscathed. Ideal summer conditions—with sufficient moisture and soft sunlight—helped create a perfect storm for quality, with definition and vibrancy there for all to taste. And, while the tariff has nominally increased, the rise is more than absorbed by the quality in the bottle.

The Wines

Other Recent Releases

  • Disznókő
    Disznókő
    I was recently fortunate enough to attend a wonderful tasting with Disznókő’s winemaker...
    I was recently fortunate enough to attend a wonderful tasting with Disznókő’s winemaker, László Mészáros. It was not a tasting I will forget...

    Read more

  • Cellier Saint Benoit
    Cellier Saint Benoit
    Luis Gutiérrez has got it right. Only in his late 20s, Benjamin Benoit is already a ris...
    Luis Gutiérrez has got it right. Only in his late 20s, Benjamin Benoit is already a rising star of the Jura. Born into a family of Pupillin winegro...

    Read more

  • Jo Landron
    Jo Landron
    We try never to get too carried away at Bibendum, but a bottle of Jo Landron’s single-v...
    We try never to get too carried away at Bibendum, but a bottle of Jo Landron’s single-vineyard 2021 Les Houx—a refreshing curveball of white peach ...

    Read more

  • Corzano e Paterno
    Corzano e Paterno
    It’s always fun visiting the cultivated crew at Corzano e Paterno. After working and st...
    It’s always fun visiting the cultivated crew at Corzano e Paterno. After working and studying abroad with David Croix in Burgundy and Mac Forbes in...

    Read more

  • Quealy
    Quealy
    Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy started something unique with Quealy Wines in 2003. ...
    Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy started something unique with Quealy Wines in 2003. With their son Tom McCarthy now el jefe chez Quealy, this pi...

    Read more

  • Larmandier-Bernier
    Larmandier-Bernier
    “We’re in a new period for Champagne,” Vouette et Sourbée’s Bertrand Gautherot said sev...
    “We’re in a new period for Champagne,” Vouette et Sourbée’s Bertrand Gautherot said several years ago. “Before, it was all about image; now, it is ...

    Read more

  • Cantina D’Arcy
    Cantina D’Arcy
    It’s not always the case that hype and rarity equate to quality, yet that’s certainly t...
    It’s not always the case that hype and rarity equate to quality, yet that’s certainly the case with Tom Myers’ tiny Piemonte start-up. It was alway...

    Read more

  • Garagiste
    Garagiste
    After a string of excellent yet frustratingly small seasons, 2024 delivered the goods f...
    After a string of excellent yet frustratingly small seasons, 2024 delivered the goods for Barney Flanders. Not only was the fruit quality right up ...

    Read more

  • Roc Breïa
    Roc Breïa
    It is fitting to start today’s offer with some words from Jasper Morris MW, who joined ...
    It is fitting to start today’s offer with some words from Jasper Morris MW, who joined us last week in Sydney and Melbourne for a series of events ...

    Read more

View All Offers