Handpicked Regional Selection Chardonnay 2019
Our fruit was harvested by hand at the end of February then whole-bunch pressed and settled in tank before transfer to tank and barrel for fermentation. The wine underwent a partial malolactic fermentation and was aged for 10 months ā part in stainless steel tank to retain fresh fruit flavours, part in barrel for added complexity. We used a mix of old and new French oak barrels.
Crisp & Refreshing, White, Medium-bodied wine. Great with river trout, Asian style dishes, roast chicken.
Handpicked Capella Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
The 2017 vintage on the Mornington Peninsula was a classic one in which overall mild and stable conditions produced superb quality fruit and wines of great balance, finesse and longevity. Dubbed by some a āGoldilocksā vintage, 2017 delivered just enough and not too much of everything. Vines ripened slowly, building great depth of flavour while retaining fine balance in sugar and acid. Harvest began in early-March, a little later than the long-term average, and somewhat of a relief after the record-early vintage of 2016.
Fruit from select blocks at Capella Vineyard is handpicked, destemmed, and sorted by hand to ensure only the finest berries make it into this beautifully perfumed, supple and silky wine. The aromas are classic Pinot Noir ā cherries, strawberries, and earthy spice - with the purity and perfume we have come to expect of Capella Vineyard. The palate combines power and grace with great texture and silky-smooth tannin.
Recommended Serving Temperature: 15-17Ā°C
Food Pairing: Peking Duck, Roasted Quail, Mushroom Risotto
Starward Unexpeated
Starward Whisky has fused the new world Australian way with old world Scottish expertise to craft UNEXPEATED, a new red wine barrel aged Australian single malt whisky, finished in peated whisky-drenched barrels from the finest distilleries in Islay, Scotland. For the first time, whisky drinkers will taste coastal, peaty, smoky flavour in Starwardās signature fruit-forward whisky. Now thatās UNEXPEATED!
Our juicy, tropical Starward flavours have taken on peat smoke character, in this latest release. On your tongue, subtle sweet peat melds with red-wine-barrel red berries and sticky golden peaches. Youāll discover coastal peat in the aroma and a lingering smouldering dry finish too.
Nose: Tropical fruits, toasted oak and a hint of sweet peat.
Palate: Ripe red berries, coastal peat smoke, yellow peaches and cocoa nibs.
Finish: Oak slowly dries the palate, with a long peated finish after.
Starward Vitalis
Vitalis is a limited-edition whisky that commemorates Starward's 15th anniversary. A true encapsulation of our life in a bottle, Vitalis comprises of six, hand-selected whisky parcels that all hold a special piece in Starward's story. With notes of chocolate-coated pineapples, coffee beans and tropical fruits, you'll find Vitalis nestles perfectly next to your favourite home cooked meal or sipped neat on its own.
Vitalis represents Starwardās life and how we are looking to new horizons. Named after our Founder, David Vitale, Vitalis is a signpost of David's gumption to "bet the farm" in hopes of creating a modern and accessible whisky. This dedication led to the food-friendly and approachable whisky that Starward is known for today, which Vitalis celebrates with its unique liquid story.
Aroma:Ā Chewy toffee, raisins, chocolate coated pineapples and cedar.
Palate: Big & viscous, rich dried fruits, red currant, and lightly roasted coffee beans. Nice balance with the bright tropical, old school Starward spirit.
Finish:Ā Long & oily finish with a delicate balance of fruit and oak. The higher ABV gives good palate weight and texture.
Handpicked Capella Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
The Mornington Peninsula is famous for its Pinot Noir wines and this is a fine example of a great vintage: deep colour, spicy berry aromas, a silky-smooth palate and fine tannin to finish.
Elegant & Refined
Food Pairing: Peking Duck, Roasted Quail, Mushroom Risotto
"A boldly spicy pinot that has ripe red cherries and a layer of charcuterie, as well as sappy, first-wood aromas. The palate has boldly spicy, red and dark-berry flavors with assertive tannin grain. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - 92 points, James Suckling
Handpicked Capella Vineyard Chardonnay 2016
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
This wine has wonderful complexity on the nose with aromas of flowers, ripe melon and guava and generous barrel ferment character. It is a full-bodied Chardonnay with citrus fruits on the palate, some lanolin and well-integrated oak.
Whole bunch pressing, barrel fermentation and regular lees stirring over 11 months in French oak add to the complexity of this full-bodied Chardonnay
Food Pairing: Shellfish and Seafood, Creamy Vegetarian Pasta, Soft Cheese
"This is an impressive contemporary expression of domestic chardonnay: a conflation of Chablis-like flint and toasted hazelnut, curd and stone fruits flowing effortlessly and long across a thread of juicy acidity and mineral tension. Burgundian. All augurs for a long future. A stamp of authority for this producer." - James Halliday
Awards: 96 points, James Halliday Wine Companion 2018
Handpicked Collection Chardonnay 2016
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Opening with stone fruit and floral aromas with bright citrus notes, this wine has layers of fruit flavour and creamy complexity derived from 11 months aging on lees in barrel.
Vintage 2016 was marked by warm and dry conditions and the Mornington Peninsula harvest was one of the earliest on record. It arrived in a hurry too and many vignerons were being picked in early February. The resulting wines have excellent flavour and weight and tend to be earlier drinking styles.
Starward Muscat Cask
Starward Muscat | Single Malt Australian Whisky
Fully Matured in Muscat Barrels; combination of fresh and charred barrels In a Starward first, this single malt whisky was fully matured for 4 years in Muscat barrels from Rutherglen, Victoria. Australia produces some of the finest Muscat fortified wine, and we are lucky to have access to these barrels within a day's drive of our distillery.
Our distillers used two parcels of locally sourced casks, wet filled and charred. The whisky absorbed the brightly perfumed aroma from the wet filled casks while the charred casks provided caramelized Muscat undertones and a toasty oak profile.
Our team are no strangers to experimenting with fortified wine. Our very first whisky, Solera, is fully matured in Apera barrels while our previous Dolce and Tawny releases show further variation in our fortified wine barrel maturation.
This latest Projects release is a nod to the iconic Muscat grape, balancing the deliciously sweet, sticky characters with soft oak spice from the barrels. Featuring notes of toasted almond, raisins, and cinnamon, it's delicisous sipped neat and fits perfectly around the dinner table.
Nose: Toasted almonds and raisins, topped with sweet and juicy lychees.
Palate: Imagine a plate of hot sticky cinnamon spice buns, straight out of the oven. Smooth and delicate, with hints of toasted oak and liquorice.
Handpicked Regional Selection RosƩ 2020
The colour is a clear light salmon. The nose has vibrant red fruit and spice aromas, and the palate has juicy fruit flavours and savoury notes. This wine is perfect for sipping on its own and will pair handsomely with a range of foods. A youthful wine made to drink while young and fresh.
Food Pairing: Pan fried rainbow trout with new potatoes, smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches, sushi, vegetarian frittata, antipasto.
Wine Style:Ā Crisp & Refreshing, Soft & Fruity
Recommended Serving Temperature: 8-12Ā°C
Starward Dolce
Dolce, a single, limited release, is a melding of juicy wine and oak characters with a flourish of sweet āSicilianā notes; marshmallow and cola. A twice distilled single malt spirit. Made with Australian barley and brewers' yeast for extra flavour. This Single Malt Australian Whisky was matured in Australian red wine barrels and then finished in barrels that held an Australian interpretation of a Sicilian Dessert Wine.
It is the newest release from the Starward Projects, a program where distillers get to experiment with different whiskies and create flavour forward and unique expressions. That is why Dolce is unlike any released before. Intriguing marshmallow and cola characters melding with the Starward stamp of red wine barrel maturation, it is an embodiment of the Italian word for sweet, Dolce. This one's a stunning straight sipper, especially with a cheeseboard, after dinner or just as your dessert!
Nose: Dried fruits, toasted marshmallows, and marzipan.
Palate: Initial sweetness on the front palate, rich dried fruits, brown sugar, cola and toasted marshmallows.
Finish: Palate is viscous, caramelised but enough tannin leaving a well-balance finish.
Handpicked Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Margaret River, Australia
This is a complex wine with aromas of black berry fruits, chocolate, and cedar with berry highlights. On the palate it has layers of interest starting with rich dark berry fruit flavours, deft oak treatment, and plush tannins. It is ready to drink and will age beautifully over the long term.
This fruit was hand harvested in late March in a selection of our vineyards; the majority was from the Wilyabrup sub-region and there was a parcel from Carbunup. The wine was aged in French oak barriques, 30 per cent new, for 15 months.
Starward Sticky Toffee Apple
Starward's Sticky Toffee Apple whisky is the latest release from our Small Batch program where our distillers source unique barrels or trial something new. Our distillers sourced Apple Brandy barrels from the United States and finished our red wine matured, single malt whisky in these barrels for three years. These barrels worked hard in Melbourne's 'four seasons in one day', which allowed the delicious liquid to achieve the full orchard and oak experience. This resulted in our luscious Sticky Toffee Apple whisky which is bound to please every crowd; whisky lover or not.
Nose: Floral notes of apple blossom and tropical fruits followed by vanilla and toffee apple.
Palate: Ripe orchard fruits and almonds give way to luscious stewed apples and all spice. Medium to long finish of rich fruit and cinnamon sugar.
Finish: Medium to long finish of rich fruit and cinnamon sugar.
Colour: Deep copper
Bottles in the World: 1,600
Handpicked Regional Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
This delicious wine has trademark aromas of blackberry, cassis and choc-mint with a lovely palate of concentrated dark fruits all balanced by leafy freshness and firm but long tannins. This is classic Coonawarra Cabernet.
Food Pairing: Roasted leg of lamb, slow cooked shanks, osso buco with gremolata, spicy meatballs.
Serving Temperature:Ā 13ĖC - 18ĖC
Cellar Potential: 2026
"The region is Margaret River and it stands out like the proverbial. Rich and powerful cabernet from this great vintage packs quite a punch as it extends to a sustained finish.ā 91 points, Ray Jordan - The West Australian
Handpicked Regional Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Tasting Notes
- A mouth-watering combination of juicy fruits, passionfruit, bright acidity and herbal lift. Pure Marlborough.
Season
- It was a warm and dry season in Marlborough with low yields as a result of unsettled weather around flowering in spring coupled with very dry weather after Christmas. There are advantages to such a season ā low disease pressure and excellent fruit intensity among them.
Winemaking
Region
- This wine is made to preserve and highlight its fresh fruit flavours and refreshing acidity. The fruit is pressed to a temperature-controlled stainless-steel tank and the juice is vinified at low temperatures over a long fermentation. It is bottled within months of harvest and is best enjoyed when youthful and fresh.
- This wine is from select vineyards in Marlborough, where warm daytime temperatures, high sunshine hours, low rainfall and cool nights encourage the development of the intense aromas and flavours that are the hallmark of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The wine region is centred on two river valleys in the north east of New Zealandās South Island ā the Wairau River and the Awatere River valleys. Soils are alluvial and free draining silty shingles intermingled with stones and rocks. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is an internationally recognised wine style and accounts for about two thirds of the total vineyard in New Zealand, more than 70% of the countryās wine production and about 85% of its wine exports.
- Green salads, Asian-style salads, and slaws, goats' cheese, fried calamari seasoned with pepper or chilli.
- Crisp & Refreshing
Two Eights Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Scented with dark berries and toasty vanilla oak, the palate unfolds with ripe fruit flavours, oak complexity and satisfying tannin. A full-bodied wine with great depth of flavour, it will complement a range of meat dishes. Ready to drink now but can be cellared over the medium term.
Varietal:Ā 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Starward Lagavulin Cask
Starward Ginger Beer Cask #7
Starward Ginger Beer Cask is back, our most popular and sought after Starward Project to date. Now in its sixth release, this delicious single malt whisky is more expressive than ever and the teamās most experimental to date. The ginger beer recipe is a closely guarded secret by the distillery production team but includes huge amounts of ginger, lemongrass and citrus peel. The ginger beer was brewed in-house and aged in EX Starward whisky barrels for 6 months before being disgorged. Our red wine and Apera casks were blended together before being finished in the ginger beer casks for over a further 6 months and bottled. Loaded with citrus peel and spicy ginger, itās a zesty little number with aromas of dark chocolate and orange, with a palate of fiery ginger, fresh vanilla, and pineapple.
Nose: Ginger, orange and dark chocolate.
Palate: Strong spicy ginger, fresh vanilla and pineapple, balanced by sweet raisins and fig.
Finish: A big, warming mouthfeel with candied ginger and citrus.
Starward Stout Cask
The perfect marriage of whisky and craft beer, introducing our first ever single malt whisky finished in locally sourced Stout casks. Our signature red wine and Apera aged whiskies, enriched for a further 18 months in these specialty Stout casks. Featuring our classic Starward tropical fruit and vanilla notes, perfectly balanced with bold malt chocolate characteristics.
This latest Projects release has been brewing for some time. Celebrating robust flavours, itās delicious sipped neat but even better as a boilermaker with a barrel aged beer.
Starward Stout Cask with an imperial barrel aged stout ā ooft, sign us up for this deliciously decadent duo! If offers great parallels with rich malt roasty character and lovely boozy mouthfeel ā this is decadence done very well.
Nose: The classic Starward tropical fruits shine through followed by vanilla pods and chocolate malt biscuits.
Palate: Banana ice cream, stone fruit and big malty backbone. Higher ABV gives great structure to the palate and extends the malty chocolate finish.
Starward Fortis Miniature
Fortis meaning ābrave, boldā, is a full bodied, full flavoured whisky that celebrates local Australian ingredients. Bottled at a higher ABV of 50% and non-chill filtered, this whisky
is fully matured in 100% American oak red wine barrels, predominately sourced from the Barossa Valley.
These barrels, which previously held big Australian bold reds like cabernet and shiraz, offer a fuller and richer mouthfeel to this single malt whisky. Starward Fortis is blended in batches, meaning each batch will be unique but will maintain the core flavour profile and intensity.
Nose: Very forward aromas of Madagascan vanilla pods, rich toasted American oak, blackberry jam, raisins, caramelised fig, raw sugar and over ripe plums.
Palate: Rich and full bodied, upfront vanillin, quince paste, Muscadelle raisins, chocolate ganache, cinnamon and baked banana bread.
Finish: Viscous and long. It really captures the whole palate and balances well with a finish of baking spices from the oak and ripe figs and raisins.
Starward Nova Miniature
Our signature single malt.
Exceptional length thanks to the red wine barrels. Bright aromatic notes of red berries, orchard fruits, vanilla, caramel and soft oak spice. Smooth and complex when sipped neat. Shines in classic cocktails. Works exceptionally well with food.
Nova borrows from tradition but breaks away from it too.
Nova is matured exclusively in red wine barrels from wineries making great Australian shiraz, cabernets and pinot noirs. This whisky reflects Melbourne in every sip. From the vibrant foodie scene to the wild weather to the world-class, cool climate wine.
Nose: Like we took bright flavours of red berries and orchard fruit and coated them in soft oak spice.
Palate:Ā Imagine a rich red berry pudding covered in vanilla, caramel and spice.
Finish:Ā Balanced and long. The sweetness fades and the delicious flavour goes on.
Starward Octave Barrels
Starward Octave Barrels is a single malt Australian whisky which has been fully matured in 100L wine barrels called āOctavesā. The Octave wine barrels, that inspired the name for this release, were sourced from Yalumba ā a family-owned Australian winery, located in the heart of Australianās famed Barossa wine region, and were used to produce their iconic Octavius Old Vine Shiraz.
Aroma: Rich, full bodied expression. Lots of red fruit, raisins, ripe peach, caramel and toasty oak.
Palate: Viscous and long, dark forest fruits, and a toasted oak backbone.
Finish: Toasted marshmallow.
Starward Tawny #2
Captivating fragrances of raisin, dried orange, fig leaves and toasted oak drift through. A swirling of nutmeg, brown sugar and a rich dried fruit sweetness on the palate. Cosy spices deliver a slow and lingering finish. A rival to Nanās fruit cake? Irresistibly so!
Aroma: Dried fruit /raisins, toasty oak, fig and dried orange.
Palate: Initial sweetness on the front palate, rich dried fruits, brown sugar and nutmeg.
Finish: Palate slowly dries from the spice leaving a well-balanced finish.
Food Pairing: Roast Turkey with Duck Fat Potatoes, Christmas cake
Handpicked Regional Selection Shiraz 2018
This wine is everything we've come to expect from a Barossa Valley Shiraz ā loads of spicy dark fruit with flavoursome oak and supple tannins.
Wine Style: Big & bold, red, full-bodied Food Pairing: Spicy hot pot, vegetarian stew, beef bourguignon, barbecued lamb Serving Temperature: 16Ā°C "Beautifully ripe and fragrant with blackberry, sweet cherry, vanilla, mixed spice and roasted nut characters, it's supple and juicy in the mouth delivering fleshy texture and silky flow. Flavoursome and delightfully appealing. At its best: now to 2028." Wine Orbit