2017 Ruggabellus Efferus
Barossa Valley, SA
The exquisite Mataro dominant blend from Abel Gibson's old vine Barossa Valley vineyard.
$44.00
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.
Barossa Valley, SA
Critic Reviews
"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)
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 : 13.1%
Closure : Screw cap
Drink Until : 2030
Bottle Size : 750ml
Barossa Valley, SA
Delivery is Free for any order over $150 or more, or just $9 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 is also available for Sydney customers, 8am-5pm Monday to Friday. To select Warehouse Pickup as your shipping method enter our address "F5A, 42 Wattle St, Ultimo, 2007" as your shipping address during checkout. Please complete your purchase online before visiting us as we are not licensed to sell over the counter. A useful map on how to find us can be viewed here.
Express Delivery is available for Sydney postcodes within 15km of the CBD. There is a $10 delivery surcharge and the order is needs to be placed before 3pm weekdays for same day delivery. A list of eligible postcodes can be viewed here.
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..
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 (policy here). We'll even retrospectively refund you if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on.
We Also Offer Volume Discounts. It works like this:
  ORDERS OVER $149 GET FREE SHIPPING
  ORDERS OVER $299 GET A $20 DISCOUNT
  ORDERS OVER $499 GET A $40 DISCOUNT
  ORDERS OVER $999 GET A $100 DISCOUNT
This will all be automatically applied to your cart during the checkout process. So for example, if you create a cart with a total of $310, your final price at checkout will be $290. The discount will generally be applied to the first item in the cart. For very large wholesale or function orders (weddings etc) we are always happy to negotiate on a case by case basis. Don't hesitate to contact us.
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