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
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
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)
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 mixed pack!
Sydney Metro orders will be delivered the next day 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by midnight 23rd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Sydney Metro here.
Melbourne Metro orders are picked up from our Sydney warehouse every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and delivered the following day in Melbourne (Tues/Wed/Fri). We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by 10am 22nd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Melbourne Metro here.
Brisbane Metro orders are picked up from our Sydney warehouse every Wednesday and delivered the following day in Brisbane (Thursday or Friday). We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by 10am 22nd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Brisbane Metro here.
Australia Wide Deliveries outside of Sydney and Melbourne metro are all delivered with Australia Post's eParcel wine delivery service. They pick up from us at 12pm Monday through Friday. When your order has been dispatched you'll receive tracking information to your email. Unfortunately with the complications of Covid and expected Christmas surge Australia Post are being extremely vague about delivery times. You will need to have your order placed before midnight 10th of December if you want to ensure it’s there for Christmas.
Authority to Leave and other delivery instructions can be left in the ‘SPECIAL REQUESTS’ box during checkout. The 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box can be found on the here page before the final checkout page.
Warehouse Pickup is available at our Sydney warehouse at 3 Fig, Ultimo, 2007. You are not able to browse our warehouse shelves and we are not licenced to sell over the counter, so please place your order online or over the phone before arriving. Feel free to call on arrival on 1300 668 385 and we can bring your order out to your vehicle.
Express Same Day Delivery is available for Sydney postcodes within 10km of the CBD. There is a $10 delivery surcharge and the order needs to be placed before 12pm midday.
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..
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 designed to be the best in market already - no marking up and then discounting down! For very large orders (weddings, etc) we are open to negotiating though. Just give us a call.
Do we price match? Yes, within reason. 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 consider matching it. We'll even retrospectively issue you store credit if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on. Our price match policy can be seen here.
Can coupons and discounts be stacked? No, only one discount or coupon can be applied to an order at once.
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. 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: 3 Fig St, Ultimo, 2007/ Please make sure you have placed your order before arriving at the warehouse
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
Sign up for the latest news & special offers
No spam, just the good stuff!