Producer Through the 90s and 00s, Tessa Brown studied viticulture and winemaking; she also travelled the world working at some of the best wineries, honing her craft. Eventually, with her partner Jeremy Schmolzer, they set their sites on their own piece of land in North East Victoria to establish their label. In 2012, they took the plunge and purchased Thorley, a 20ha block of cleared land in Beechworth, where they began planting Chardonnay and Shiraz and with that Vigneron Schmolzer and Brown was born. To launch their label, they also purchased fruit from neighbouring property Brunnen and Riesling from a site in the Whitlands. Today, they continue to grow their home vineyard, farm organically and make honest and authentic wines along the way. Tasting Note Sylvaner is native to Germany and is quite common there. Unfortunately, but also understandably, Riesling often overshadows it. However, it is a great variety, nonetheless. It is usually quite a crisp, bright, and refreshing style with delightful peach and passionfruit flavours. VSB has made a stunning example here. The fruit comes from some of their King Valley holdings, and they used a combination of stainless steel and oak during fermentation. "My preciousss! Sylvaner, who would have thought? The bouquet is pretty, floral, with gentle sweet and creamy tones, bitter herbs. And that's great, but the texture is queen here, detailed and complex, fine chalk-like, talcum powder with bitter-sweet fruit skins, salt flakes and a savoury-spicy finish. It becomes chewy yet stays smooth and covers the back palate with phenolics carrying the flavours long. It reminds a tonic water or a white vermouth. Just an aromatised bitter white wine with a dazzling texture. So very delicious, so precious. - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front. 94 Points
