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2017 Ruggabellus Efferus

2017 Ruggabellus Efferus

Barossa Valley, SA

The exquisite Mataro dominant blend from Abel Gibson's old vine Barossa Valley vineyard.

$44.00

Out of Stock

SOLD OUT | CONTACT US FOR ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS
About
I want it to be untamed, hence Efferus, wild, so the wine shows robustness and a rustic feel, but that’s not quite right either.

Abel Gibson, Owner/winemaker

About The Wine

The Latin word, Efferus, roughly translates to savage, wild, untamed, and undomesticated - a beautiful vision of Abel Gibson's Mataro from his rugged Barossa home.

In this wine, while old vine Mataro is the focal point, colour is added by Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. It's a wine that is very much greater than the sum of its parts.

Gibson has a rare feel for the art of blending, the aim always to bring vitality and freshness to the naturally moody, meaty, earthy nature of Mataro. It's a balancing act that few achieve, yet one that seems easy in Abel's calm hands.

This wine is a beautiful and beguiling depiction of Mataro and its friends from the great Barossa Valley.

About Ruggabellus

Ruggabellus - meaning 'rugged beauty' - is one of the breakaway producers of the much written about 'New Barossa' movement. 

A deep connection to the land of the Barossa Valley underpins Abel Gibson's winery. Raised amongst the vines of the Barossa, the cellars of Penfolds and Rockford, with the guidance of local wine legends such as Charlie Melton and his father Rob Gibson, Abel has carved a unique path for his brand.

Ruggabellus focuses on sensitive blends of old vine Syrah, Mataro, Grenache and Cinsault from great old vineyards with freshness and vitality always the key. Oak is never new. Additions are minimal. 

The 'whites' are some of the country's finest examples of skin contact 'amber' wines. The variations on Riesling, Muscat and Semillon that are entirely world class. These are rare and truly authentic Australian wines.

Abel Gibson amongst the rugged Barossa landscape
Abel Gibson amongst the rugged Barossa landscape
Barossa Valley, SA
Additional Info

From The Producer

We are keen to understand the uniquely Australian character of our wines. We use no new oak. For our reds we are attracted to vineyards that allow us to pick earlier in an effort to preserve vitality, crunch and intrigue. 

Our wines range from 10% to 100% whole bunch and all wine movements are done using gravity. We nearly always harvest on ‘fruit’ days. All ferments are unseeded and allowed to progress naturally. All wines are bottled under screw cap. We sincerely hope they become a valuable contribution to the evolving nature of Australian wine.

Blend : Mataro (73%), Syrah (11%), Grenache (10%), Cinsault (6%)
ABV : 13.10%
Closure : Screw cap
Drink Until : 2030
Bottle Size : 750ml

Abel Gibson hard at work
Abel Gibson hard at work
Barossa Valley, SA
Expert Reviews

Critic Reviews

95Points
The Wine Front

"The first thing you notice, once past the briary, dark berry, anise-tinged, slightly smoky, black olive perfume, is the powdery, translucent feel to the wine. It’s not so much ‘light-on’, as there’s plenty going on in the palate, but ethereal, or something akin to that. It spreads in the palate on a film of dust and brambly-berry flavours, ashen and savoury, drawn very long and leaving barely-there fruit sweetness in its wake. Tannins form a wide sheath and acidity is underlying in a sense of vitality and freshness. It all sounds odd, if you read this straight, but it’s a compelling wine of wild character yet delicacy. Drinking is a charm." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews
Delivery

Delivery is Free for any order over $149 or more, or just $10 for any orders of $149 or less. There is no minimum order quantity and you can mix and match as much as you like. Make your perfect mix pack!

Estimated delivery time frames with Australia Post can be viewed here. Please include Authority to Leave instructions in the ‘SPECIAL REQUESTS’ box during checkout if you may not be available to sign for your delivery and would like it left at your front door. The 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box can be found on the cart page before the final checkout page.

Warehouse Pickup Due to some restrictions on our warehouse lease agreement and COVID concerns we are no longer offering Warehouse Pickup as an option and will be delivering all orders moving forward. Delivery is free (for orders over $149) and fast so please select one of our great delivery options at checkout. Sorry for any inconvenience caused by this change! The Different Drop Team.

Express Same Day Delivery is available for Sydney postcodes within 10km of the CBD. There is a $10 delivery surcharge and the order is needs to be placed before 12pm midday weekdays for same day delivery. Express courier deliveries cannot be left unattended and require a receiver signature.

Our Heat Policy can be viewed here. If you would like us to hold dispatch of your order for milder weather please leave instructions to do so in the 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box found on the cart page before the final checkout. We are happy to hold it for as long as you like. All orders are fully insured so you can buy with full confidence that these tasty beverages will get to you in tip-top shape.

Returns are free for 100 days after purchase. You can view the conditions of our return policy here

For any other shipping related inquiries, please see our helpful FAQ, email us at hello@differentdrop.com or call us on 1300 668 385..

FaQs
Do I have to order in dozens?

No, please mix it up! You can order wines in any quantity and variation you like. You can order 1 bottle or 50. We challenge you to make the ultimate mixed pack of wine!

Are there volume discounts?

No our pricing is aiming to the best in the market already. For very large orders (weddings etc) we are open to negotiating though. Just give us a call. How does the price match work?

Everyday Low & Consistent Pricing is something we strongly believe in. We want our customers to feel confident they are always getting the best price. If you see a price lower somewhere else let us know and we'll match it. We'll even retrospectively refund you if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on. Our price match policy can be seen here.

I am trying to add more of a wine to my cart but it won’t let me?

This means we are running low on stock of that wine. So for example, if the website will only allow you to add 3 bottles and no more, then that is all we have of that particular wine. The good news is we may be able to order more for you. Just contact us on 1300 668 385 or hello@differentdrop.com and we'll organise the additional quantity for you.

Does Different Drop have a physical store?

No, not really. More of a warehouse/office. We do however offer a Click & Collect option from our warehouse in Ultimo, Sydney. Our warehouse address for Click & Collect is: F5A, 42 Wattle St, Ultimo, 2007

Can I special order a wine you do not sell?

If it’s doable, then we’ll make it happen. Just contact us directly via phone, chat or email and we’ll find out for you right away. Please note that in most cases special orders such as these will need to be in full case lots (6 or 12 bottles).

More FaQs: here