This month, Oliver Crawford releases three wines made under his direction since joining the Margaret River winery as Chief Winemaker in July 2008. The Devil’s Lair label offers beautifully crafted wines that express the distinctive style of the Margaret River region and the singular combination of geography and climate that is unique to the Devil’s Lair vineyard site.

The wines available from December include:

• 2008 Devil’s Lair Margaret River Chardonnay RRP $44.99
• 2009 Fifth Leg White RRP $19.99
• 2009 Fifth Leg Chardonnay RRP $19.99

Leading the release this month is the winery’s icon Chardonnay – 2008 Devil’s Lair Margaret River Chardonnay. Pale straw with fluorescent white hues in colour, this typically Margaret  River wine is the first to be released under Oliver’s direction.

“At every level the small Devil’s Lair winemaking team aim to make the best wine possible. Essentially Devil’s Lair is quintessential Margaret River but that does not restrict us from  forming new ideas and experimenting with new varieties and winemaking techniques,” said Crawford.

“Devil’s Lair winery has the opportunity to make single block wines through to multi regional wines. Individual block wines are about expressing the region and the variety. Individual vineyard wines are about expressing the vineyard and the style, such as this  Devil’s Lair Chardonnay made using 100% estate grown fruit.”

Oliver is excited about what the Margaret River region offers winemakers and believes great winemaking begins in the vineyard. Allowing the wine to express the nature of the vineyard and its sense of place without compromising varietal characteristics is essential he said.

The 2009 Fifth Leg Chardonnay, (from Devil’s Lair quirkier ‘off sider’ label) has a new wine style – it is a little different from the original and made to encourage you to think outside the square. A crisp refreshing Chardonnay that has flavours reminiscent of Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc without compromising what Chardonnay represents. There is lifted lemon sherbet and melon with very subtle lychee and nougat on the nose and the palate offers an elegant palate with melons, passionfruit and subtle crème caramel undertones. A crisp lemon finish keeps you wanting for more… The 2009 Fifth Leg Chardonnay is a crisper, lighter style, with higher acidity, and it is lower in alcohol. “This old dog has pulled out a new trick with this wine” said Crawford. 

The 2009 Fifth Leg White – Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Chardonnay is bright straw with lime
green at the rim and a fragrant ‘spring nose’ with citrus blossom. The palate delivers the best
of each variety. Sauvignon Blanc arrives with tropical notes of lychee and passionfruit,
mingling with lemon tart and cut grass from Semillon. Chardonnay rounds out the palate,
delivering stone fruit notes while providing texture and length.

About Devil’s lair
Devil’s Lair is recognised as one of Margaret River’s great estates and is situated at the southern end of the Leeuwin Peninsula in Western Australia and produces some of the highest quality wines from the region. Elegance, finesse and complexity are the characteristics that set Margaret River a part with Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc fruit. These characteristics
are expressed strongly in our wines which reflect the combination of geology, geography and climate that is unique to Devil’s Lair. The winemaking team includes: Chief Winemaker Oliver Crawford, Michael Kane Winemaker/Cellar Manager and Mireille Hewlett Winemaker/HSE manager and Vineyard Manager Simon Robertson. Devil’s Lair takes its name from the nearby Devil’s Lair cave, a legendary archaeological site in Western Australia that is famous as the home of Tasmanian tiger fossil remains dating back 50,000 years. The Devil’s Lair wine labels recreate the Tasmanian tiger’s image together with the mysterious extra long leg which was found amongst the remains, and from which the Estate’s associated brand – Fifth Leg – takes its name.

For more information contact: Ildi Ireland 0407 058 862/ildi.ireland@fostersgroup.com