Hits from Down Under: Gentle Folk latest 2020 and 2019 releases (new arrival)

Gareth Belton crafts bewitchingly delicious wines from high-elevation organic and biodynamic vines around the Adelaide Hills. Celebrated for their sheer quality and drinkability, his latest Gentle Folk releases are now here. Get them before they're gone.
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NEW ARRIVALS • IN STOCK

Gentle Folk

The lovable Adelaide Hills
thirst-quenchers are back

Gareth Belton, master craftsman of Gentle Folk Wines

…these are some of the hottest labels in Australian wine right now, at the forefront of the natural, low-intervention, minimal-additions trend.
— Max Allen, Gourmet Traveller

Gareth Belton might be the most viticulturally minded of the Basket Range lot, which is to say he spends a lot of his time farming vines for vineyards he makes wine from. And he’s a pragmatist… Good proof that there’s a balance to be struck between esoteric and enduring.
— Jon Bonné, “Six Rising Star Winemakers of Australia’s Adelaide Hills”

We love Gentle Folk wines. These are wines that do not demand intellectual introspection; always companionable, they please the senses at every turn. But if there is one “problem” with Gentle Folk, it’s that we often tend to overlook the fact that they are very, very good wines.

Gareth Belton and his wife Rainbo are two of Australia’s foremost seaweed experts. They also happen to run Gentle Folk Wines, a small winery in the Basket Range sub-region of the Adelaide Hills, where they make some of the purest and finest wines in South Australia.

Gareth has a degree in marine biology from the University of Adelaide and was working towards a PhD in seaweed phycology, when he was lured away from seaweed science by no less than three of Australian wine’s most prominent 21st century trailblazers: James Erskine (Jauma), the late Taras Ochota (Ochota Barrels), and Anton Von Klopper (Lucy Margaux), who also happened to be Gareth’s neighbours.

“I was doing a PhD in Marine Science here in Adelaide and got a little distracted, and now I am full-time distracted. I always loved wine, and I always loved things done properly, and after meeting James and Anton at one of their tastings down in town, I was picking grapes the next morning. Things kinda just rolled from there,” recounts Gareth.

Gareth_Belton_in_his_vineyard_(photo:_Daniel_Purvis_broadsheet.com.au)

Until the 2015 vintage, Gareth was purchasing most of the fruit for his wines from surrounding vineyards in the Adelaide Hills. Towards the end of 2014, he was given a tip-off that a vineyard in the town of Forest Range was up for lease. It was was planted with Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay, but the owners had had enough, and were considering ripping out all the vines. He fortunately managed to take over the lease for the vineyard, and since the 2015 vintage, as much as 75% of Gentle Folk’s production has come from this site, which possesses the fairytale-worthy name Scary Gully.

Today, he and Rainbo farm 7.5 hectares across 5 different sites in the hills, all organically and/or biodynamically, with the aim of making wines that are unencumbered by artifice. In the winery, the only textbook Gareth pays any attention to is one which proposes the idea of adding nothing to the bottle, other than fermented grape juice and (maybe) a touch of SO2.

In Gareth’s words, “We don’t like to define our styles or winemaking techniques, we just make wine in the way we feel is right for the grapes and season and most importantly, with maximum drinkability and enjoyment in mind”.

Gentle Folk wines have sometimes been referred to as “natural wines”, but the label “natural wine” is very often a loaded term. It’s one that not only can be divisive, but is also generally inadequate in conveying what these so-called “natural wines” are about, given that they come in so many different styles. As Gareth explains, sometimes it’s as simple as thinking about the wines we consume, in the same way we think about the other types of produce we consume:

“We have the same philosophy with regards to our food and the way we lead our lives, and this just seemed most logical with regards to our wine and vineyards. Our end goal is no additions in the vineyard or cellar. That’s what we strive towards. . . If that’s an interpretation of natural wine, then so be it.”

While some people think that “natural wines” are made by lazy winemakers, in reality, crafting a clean, delicious natural wine that people long to drink requires minimum intervention, but maximum observation.

I think lazy winemaking is when you add yeast, and enzymes and other things to control the wine, so you don’t have to worry about it. But, for us, we sort pretty hard, by hand, out in the vineyard first, before the grapes make it to the winery. I’ll monitor the ferment all throughout the day, checking it by smelling it, plunging the cap as often as I need to. I don’t know if you’d call it lazy.
— Gareth Belton

Gentle Folk bottles may initially catch people’s attention because of their whimsical, very endearing labels. But in actual fact, the wines really do live up to their name. Gentle fruits and a delicate frame, along with maximum drinkability, are attributes shared by all Gentle Folk wines. Yes, they do belong to the “natural” school, but Gentle Folk wines are clean wines, with pure fruit, charming softness and joyous vibrancy. They are pretty to look at, and they taste pretty darn delicious too. These are wines that make people feel happy.

Bearing in mind that Gentle Folk wines are produced in quantities of no more than a few thousand bottles each vintage, we are blessed to be able to have them in our part of the world. We cannot overstate how fond we are of these wines. One piece of advice that we can share after having enjoyed them on many, many occasions: these wines thrive with aeration. There’s no need for decanting, but oxygen really helps to bring out their nuances and express their joy-giving flavours.


	The Adelaide Hills-based label was my find of the day [. .] Belton really puts the artisan into artisanal. — Sarah Ahmed, The Wine Detective

Gentle Folk wines are always refreshing, and invariably crowd-pleasing. Considering their tiny production, and the artisanal process by which Gareth crafts each of his bottles, they offer incredible value. We have been importing and distributing the wines of Gentle Folk since 2016, and over the years, one thing has held consistently true: Gareth’s wines always fly off our shelves before we know it.

The latest releases from Gentle Folk are as delightful — and incredibly well-crafted — as ever. If pleasure is what you’re seeking, then these wines will more than satisfy your epicurean desires.

The wines are available now, in limited quantities. The offer prices here are valid until 4 November 2020. Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. Full payment is required no later than 7 days after confirmation invoice has been sent to confirm the order. No further discount. All terms and conditions apply.

References:
– The Wine Idealist (website)

The Offer

- OFFER VALID ONLY UNTIL 4 NOVEMBER 2020
- PRICES ARE QUOTED NETT, no further discount
- allocation rules may apply
- SUBJECT TO FINAL WRITTEN CONFIRMATIOn

Whites

Gentle_Folk_Scary-Fully_Piccadilly_and_Ashton_Chardonnays

Scary Gully Chardonnay 2018

S$ 55 / 750 ml for 3 bottles or more
S$ 58 / 750 ml

72 bottles

“Perched up high on a south-facing slope right up against the forest, the Chardonnay block has the benefit of being protected from the hot Australian northerly sun and winds. This, combined with dry farming, ancient sandstone and quartz soils, has created a wine with super tension and finesse in 2018. In terms of winemaking changes in 2018, we added back a small amount (5%) of hard pressings before fermentation (as opposed to just using the ‘free run’ juice). We also gave the wine a much longer time in barrel (incl a new one!) than we have previously, allowing for the wine to perfectly settle out and integrate.” Gareth Belton

Piccadilly Chardonnay 2019

S$ 63 / 750 ml

24 bottles

Biodynamic. From the estate’s Piccadilly vineyard, which was planted in 1983. The west-facing site sits at an altitude of 520 metres, and features light loamy clay over sandstone with extensive schist and quartz rock soils. 100% whole-bunch pressed into tank for settling overnight before racking off solids to barrel. The wine spent 11 months in French oak, of which 25% was new. 1,200 bottles produced.

Ashton Chardonnay 2019

S$ 63 / 750 ml

30 bottles

Biodynamic. From the estate’s Ashton vineyard, which was planted in 1996. The north-facing site sits at an altitude of 500 metres, and features light loamy clay over sandstone with extensive schist and quartz rubble. 100% whole-bunch pressed into tank for settling overnight before racking off solids to barrel. The wine spent 11 months in French and Austrian oak, of which 25% was new. 1,200 bottles produced.

Blends & Reds

Rainbow Juice 2020

S$ 54 / 750 ml for 3 bottles or more
S$ 57 / 750 ml

72 bottles

This is Gentle Folk’s highly popular summer quencher, the composition of which sometimes changes depending on the vintage. Gareth employs many different techniques in order to produce the most appropriate expression for each vintage, but always maintains maximum drinkability. Is it rosé, is it an orange wine? Does it matter?

“Rainbow Juice this year is Sauvignon blanc and Gewurtztraminer fermented on skins which is then blended before bottling with some Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Merlot. Just different rations depending on the year. Heaps of things going on, heaps of techniques, not worth going into it… just put it in your mouth and enjoy!” Gareth Belton

“Pretty salmon hue. Effusive, expressive ripe orchard fruit with a tinge of lychee on the nose, underscored with some mineral notes. Broad, supple and ripely fruited on the entry, with an interesting melange of berry fruit, guava, melon, grapefruit and blood orange. Generous but zippy, sweet but energised, this wine is a testament to Gareth’s special talent as a wine grower and winemaker: always imaginative, he is a whizz at blending immensely well-crafted wines that are simply a joy to drink. Love it! And then some.” AC

Vin de Sofa 2020

S$ 54 / 750 ml for 3 bottles or more
S$ 57 / 750 ml

72 bottles

This is Gentle Folk’s flagship red blend, the composition of which sometimes varies from year to year. The name is a play on the French phrase ‘vin de soif’, which refers to an easy-drinking, thirst-quenching wine.

“This year Vin de Sofa is composed of Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Merlot. The Pinot noir was fermented as 100% whole bunch, pressed after 7 days and aged in neutral French barriques. The Pinot gris was direct pressed and fermented and aged in stainless steel. Merlot was all destemmed and spent 10 days on skins before being pressed and aged in stainless tanks. Still made the same way with layered Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris with some juice poured over the top to make a semi-carbonic red wine. Merlot was added in 2020 as it’s juicy and delicious and yielded well for once.” Gareth Belton

“Vin de Sofa is always one of our perennial favourites from Gareth. So how is it this time around? Slightly translucent ruby. Bright wild berries, cassis and cherries on the nose. There’s a unique expression that is intriguingly delightful and appetising. Scented on the palate with blackcurrant pastille and fresh tobacco leaf, it enters succulent and sappy, and finishes with a burst of high-toned peppery notes atop round sweet berry fruit. Incipient minerality dots the finish, but it’s almost not noticeable as the juicy red berry fruit dominates, leaving you craving the next sip. Charming, whimsical, delightful… Did we mention that we love this cuvée?” AC

Norton Summit Merlot 2019

S$ 58 / 750 ml

14 bottles

“Harvested from organic vines in Morialta planted in 1990, grown in light clay soils rich with quartz and ironstone, driving strong minerality through the wine. The site sits at 420 metres altitude. The Merlot grapes were fermented as whole bunches in an open top fermenter before spending 11 months in old French oak barrique.” Gareth Belton

“Long has Gentle Folk’s Gareth Belton spruiked the virtues of merlot. It’s tight and fine, firm and precise, beautiful in its pretty blue fruits, violet floral character, lavender whiffs and a hedonistic undertow of plummy richness, though that’s a shy character. It’s all gloss and shine in texture, shy of medium weight, undeniably bright and jolly fruited but it feels tempered. Great to see the restraint. Succulent, detailed and just straight up unreal to drink. What a coup.” 94 points, The Wine Front (Mike Bennie)

Oakbank Shiraz 2019

S$ 58 / 750 ml

12 bottles

Biodynamic. From Michael Downer’s Murdoch Hill vineyard, which was planted in 1998. This north-facing site sits at an elevation of 385 metres and features light loamy clay over sandstone and extensive schist and quartz rubbles. 100% whole-cluster open-top fermentation. The wine spent 11 months in French oak puncheons, of which 25% were new.

“White pepper and mezcal, cranberry whiffs, undergrowth. I like this start. Beautiful texture, fans out on fine, gentle tannins, earthy-savoury characters, sour cherry flavours, perky, amaro-like acidity, a beautiful feel here. Lots to enjoy, savoury as, fine in feel and that texture is beautiful.” 93 points, The Wine Front

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Prices are quoted nett in Singapore Dollars (SGD), ex-Singapore, valid until 4 November 2020.
Prices are for single bottle size (750 ML) unless otherwise specified.
Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation.
Full payment must be made no later than 7 days after invoice date to confirm the order. We reserve the right to redistribute wines ordered not honoured by timely payment or sufficient mutually agreeable notice.
This offer is non-transferable and cannot be used in conjunction with other offers and/or promotions.
Wines sold are not returnable.
Delivery fee is waived for purchases over S$280 nett in a single receipt to a single Singapore address. Otherwise S$25 delivery fee (or S$15 for purchases of 3 bottles or below) per address applies. Please allow a couple of days to organise delivery.
Order(s) must be delivered within 1 month upon completion of sale. Failure to take delivery will result in storage fees being charged to your account.

ARTISAN CELLARS OCTOBER 2020 WINE LIST
This list outlines a compilation of artisanal wines that we carry. We take pride in the sourcing and provenance of our wines, from the most affordable to the higher ends. As importers, most of our wines come direct from the estates. We are proud to work with the most respected growers from every wine region, each of them representing the very best that their respective appellation is capable of producing. To augment our list, we occasionally include quality wines from only impeccable sources. Regardless of point of origin, we are always committed to shipping and storing them in ideal cellar conditions. Please email us at sales@artisan-cellars.com or call us at +65 6838 0373 to enquire about exact availability of wines, or to find out anything you wish to know about our wines.

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390 Orchard Road
B1-01 Palais Renaissance
Singapore 238871
t    +65 6838 0373
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