Discover Vanguardist Wines Pack

Michael Corbett’s latest releases from Vanguardist Wines mark an exciting evolution for the winemaker, showcasing his deep connection to the Rende Vineyard in Blewitt Springs.

Corbett is on fire at the moment. This is the best way to test drive his newest releases.

• 2025 Vanguardist La Cote Riesling
• 2025 Vanguardist Botanic Rose
• 2024 Vanguardist Oeno Grenache
• 2024 Vanguardist Oeno Syrah

2025 Vanguardist La Cote Riesling

Michael Corbett’s La Côte Riesling takes Clare Valley’s signature variety somewhere new. It's a more textural, more savoury style, far from the straight-up and down versions the region is best known for.

Sourced from the dry-grown, western-facing La Côte vineyard in the Watervale sub-region of the Clare Valley. Hand-picked fruit was foot-crushed and roughly settled before being divided between three vessels: one-third Hungarian amphora, one-third new Austrian foudre, and one-third stainless steel. It was then left on lees with full malo to build texture and roundness.

The result is a Riesling that’s as much about feel as flavour - lime and grapefruit pith meet honeycomb and elderflower, all carried by fine mineral acidity and a gentle tannin line. It’s layered and savoury but still unmistakably Clare at its core.

A beautifully individual take on the region’s hero grape - lively, detailed and built for both early pleasure and a few years’ evolution in the cellar.

92 points
"It’s nutty, a little creamy, but has a firm attack of green apple acidity with a sort of kombucha tang to it, has a chalky and stony texture, and offers a finish of some zip and good length."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2025 Vanguardist Botanic Rose

Now in its second release, the Botanic Rosé is fast becoming one of the standouts in Michael Corbett’s Vanguardist range — a wine that shows just how much character and texture a serious rosé can have.

Sourced mainly from the Rende Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, where old Grenache and Syrah vines grow in deep, sandy soils, this is a blend that captures both freshness and depth. The fruit was foot-crushed and cold settled overnight before fermentation in a mix of stainless steel, concrete sphere, and egg - each vessel bringing its own shape and feel to the wine.

The result is dry, savoury and beautifully balanced. You’ll find notes of grapefruit, pomegranate, spice and fine herbs, all bound together by crisp acidity and a gentle, powdery tannin line. It’s bright enough to drink now but has the structure to evolve gracefully with time.

More than just a summer sipper, the 2025 Botanic Rosé shows Michael Corbett’s skill in turning precision and restraint into something expressive, layered, lively and so smashable.

94 points
"It’s an exciting and interesting wine, complex and so good to drink. If only more rosé wines were made with this attention to detail and verity."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2024 Vanguardist Oeno Grenache

The Oeno Grenache shows exactly why Michael Corbett is regarded as one of the country’s finest interpreters of Blewitt Springs. From 54-year-old bush vines rooted in deep sand on the Rende Vineyard, this is Grenache that trades weight for precision, delivering clarity, texture and drive.

Handpicked fruit was fermented with 60% whole bunches, then matured for 15 months in a mix of French oak puncheons and a 1,500L concrete sphere. It’s fragrant and energetic, with red cherry, cranberry and spice lifted by subtle herbal and floral notes. The tannins are fine and shaping, giving the wine both line and persistence.

Oeno may be the entry point to the Vanguardist range, but it has all the class and polish of the top wines. Pure, focused and effortlessly drinkable, it’s another masterclass in modern McLaren Vale Grenache.

94 points
"It’s lighter and breezier than the V Grenache, and I’d expect that’s kind of the point. Very nice. So stylish."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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2024 Vanguardist Oeno Syrah

The first release of the Oeno Syrah is another impressive addition to Michael Corbett’s growing line-up - a wine that mainlines the essence of Blewitt Springs through a modern, finely tuned lens.

Sourced entirely from Michael's beautiful Rende Vineyard, where old vines dig deep into the region’s sandy soils, this Syrah was fermented with 40% whole bunches before spending 14 months in one and two-year-old thick-stave puncheons. The approach keeps everything fresh and detailed, making a Shiraz in a more approachable mode.

It’s bright and perfumed: all blue and red fruits, cracked pepper, herbs and spice with a savoury, earthy edge that pulls everything together. The palate is finely structured, with a mineral thread running through it and tannins that shape rather than dominate.

For a debut release, this is a remarkably complete Syrah: pure, composed and full of energy. A wine that proves once again why Corbett’s touch with southern Australian reds is among the best in the country.

95 points
"Syrah by name, Syrah by nature. There’s a cool character here, even though the wine is nicely ripe, a hazelnut feel to tannin, with a nutty and fresh finish of excellent length, closing with some orange peel and juicy acidity. Bang on."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

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