La Violetta
Great Southern, Western Australia
Founded by the legendary AJ Hoadley, grapes are sourced from a handful of trusted growers across the Great Southern with exceptional vineyards and some amongst the oldest in the state. The idea is to keep production at a small scale so that each wine is personally hand-crafted.
AJ's idea is to keep production at a small scale so that each wine is personally hand-crafted and he achieves this balance between a business and beautiful wines perfectly. Before being taken hostage west by the mind blowing Great Southern grapes, winemaker Andrew Hoadley worked all over Australia’s cool and hot zones and in Piedmont, Abruzzo and Washington State. His wines are a breath of fresh air, some playful, fun and light-hearted, others more serious and structured.
2022 Riesling/Gewürz/Vermentino ‘Yé-Yé Blanc’
Great Southern riesling is always at the heart of this blend, sourced from two distinguished sites west of Mt Barker. It shows loads of pure floral intensity, a conversation starter with the other varieties that contribute aromatic complexity and textural elements: old vine, dry-grown Gewürztraminer and a splash of skin-contact Vermentino from Swinney’s vineyard adding texture to the blend.
Winemaking
Around 25% was fermented in old oak on solids to round out the Riesling linearity with some lees-derived richness, giving context to the structural phenolics. 2022 was a splendid vintage for Riesling and other aromatic whites in Great Southern, a ripening season with mild to warm days, bringing ripeness and fruit intensity while retaining purity, drive and natural acidity.
Tasting Notes
Freshness, balance and aromatic intensity typical of the region, with scents of citrus, stone fruit and white flowers. Natural acidity carries the fruit weight, providing a canvas for phenolic textures, lees contact, barrel fermentation and the uniquely skinsy slide of Vermentino. Fully drinkable, glass after glass.
2024 Muscat/Riesling Pet Nat 'Patio Nat'
A special single-site fizz from the black-skinned Muscat grape in the cool Ferguson Valley. This is our eighth release, and it’s still a love letter to the variety’s soul – taking winemaker AJ back to autumn days in the Alta Langa shovelling moscato skins, only now with a more relaxed, dodge-the-emus-on-the-gravel-road Australian twist. The 2024 season ran early – 3–4 weeks ahead of schedule – picking in the cool of the night to lock in natural acidity, with fruit rolling into the winery at a perfect 13°C.
Winemaking
Twenty hours of skin contact gave colour and lifted aromatics before pressing to a mix of tank and old puncheons for a slow, wild, eight-week ferment. Bottled without fining or filtration, the final fizz is the natural last breath of fermentation. This year’s sugar work was tuned for minimal sediment and a soft, easy-going sparkle – no disgorging needed. As ever, a small splash (about 7%) of Great Southern Riesling sharpens the citrus edge and adds zip to the finish.
Tasting Notes
Pretty, pale pink in the glass with a gentle, fine froth. Bursting with floral, grapey charm – rose petals, orange blossom – and a twist of mandarin pith. Barrel ferment brings a subtle savoury layer, while mineral phenolics add gentle texture. Sweetness of fruit is beautifully balanced by a clean, dry finish. Chill it down and drink it on the patio – the ultimate laidback sparkling.
2023 Riesling / Gewürztraminer / Pinot Gris ‘Loosie Ranga’
A multi-vintage blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Vermentino, Pinot Grigio, Zibibbo, and Moscato, ‘Loosie Ranga’ sees 5 days to 4 weeks of skin contact and extended time on lees.
Winemaking
Pinot Grigio 58%, Muscat à petits grains rouges 25%, Gewürztraminer 17%.
Tasting Notes
Aromatic and energetic, it shows florals, citrus peel, peach, and rhubarb, with savoury tannins and skinsy texture—vibrant and complex.
2024 Grenache Light Red 'Lounge Chill'
An easygoing, high-drinkability Grenache from Frankland River bush vines. Aromatics of bright raspberry, cherry, dried rose and sweet herbs glide into a light-to-mid weight palate with slippery tannins and a lick of earthy spice. Chill it down for maximum enjoyment.Item description
Winemaking
Picked early for freshness. 90% Skin contact for 2 days. 10% whole bunch carbonic fermentation for 4 weeks. Wild ferment, unfined, no additions except sulphur before bottling.
Tasting Notes
Light, juicy and fragrant, this chillable Grenache bursts with red cherry, raspberry, and dried rose petal. Gentle spice and soft tannins round out a breezy, refreshing palate.
2021 Vermentino ‘FAV’
Favorita is the Piedmontese name for Vermentino, so FAV, obvs. The fruit was harvested on 14th March from International Hill vineyard, west of Frankland in Great Southern.
Winemaking
Grapes were destemmed and had six days skin contact before pressing to seasoned French oak for wild fermentation at ambient cellar temperature. After this, the wine rested undisturbed on lees for nine months, before racking and sulphite addition prior to bottling on 14th December, 2021; unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Notes
Intensely fragrant, with scents reminiscent of nashi, white flowers and honeydew melon. On the palate, the slippery delights of skin contact bring a pleasing succulence, yet the overall impression remains savoury and delicate, with lees contact and barrel ferment contributing complex notes on the finish.
2023 Riesling ‘Das Sakrileg’
This wine is crafted for those with inquisitive palates and an appreciation for diversity. Produced in small quantities from a selection of the best barrels from the vintage. The single vineyard fruit was handled in an oxidative way, fermented in wild barrel, and matured on lees without sulphur, and even underwent partial malolactic fermentation.
Winemaking
Sourced from five separate parcels, this blend of Pinot Grigio (58%), Muscat à petits grains rouges (25%), and Gewürztraminer (17%) was wild fermented on skins for between 5 days and 4 weeks. Extended time on lees built texture and complexity. No additions were made apart from a small dose of sulphur at bottling. The blend balances the savoury drive of Pinot Grigio, the floral lift of Muscat, and the exotic spice of Gewürztraminer.
Tasting Notes
Perfumed with rubbed citrus skin, spring blossoms, and a gentle nuttiness, supported by a vivid mix of citrus and tropical undertones—think lime, kiwi, papaya, and pineapple skin. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with the unusual but captivating combination of firm, lively acidity and a soft, powdery texture. Juicy fruit weight is carried by a gentle mineral phenolic drive, finishing savoury and dry.
Review
“The perfume is of rubbed citrus skin and blossoms, gentle nuttiness, the texture is of talcum powder, the flow is of purest lime juice. Represented by a family of strong citrus characters but not shy of some tropical undertones, kiwi, papaya, pineapple skin. It does one of the great wine ‘oxymoron tricks’, being firm in acidity and soft in texture at the same time. Magic." 95pts. Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
2023 Riesling ‘Little Sak’
Born out of a lightbulb moment when AJ decided to make a normal Great Southern Riesling, something he’d never done in the 15 years of La Violetta’s existence. He chose to use fruit off one of Mt Barker’s oldest and most distinguished vineyards. It’s a little less oxidatively handled, didn’t see as much barrel during fermentation, is a little more fruit driven, and was less influenced by lees.
Winemaking
The Mt Barker old vine fruit was wild fermented; 80% tank, 20% old oak. The wine spent 6 months on fine lees prior to bottling, unfined. cool hillside cellar and remained on lees in old puncheons for 11 months before racking and bottling without filtration.
Tasting Notes
Perfumed with rubbed citrus skin, spring blossoms, and a gentle nuttiness, supported by a vivid mix of citrus and tropical undertones - lime, kiwi, papaya, and pineapple skin. The palate is fresh and vibrant, with the unusual but captivating combination of firm, lively acidity and a soft, powdery texture. Juicy fruit weight is carried by a gentle mineral phenolic drive, finishing savoury and dry.
Review
"Has big time concentration, raciness, savouriness and presence. An individual wine for its very strong lean into minerality, unashamed saline qualities, roll of nuttiness amongst the crunch of green apple and a full flourish of sweet minerality and herbiness to finish. Super fragrant too. A full gourmand experience, in another parlance. In regular talk, it takes riesling to the next level and delivers a very complex, very refreshing, intriguing and straight up darn delicious drink."
96pts. Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
2024 Grenache Light Red 'Lounge Chill'
An easygoing, high-drinkability Grenache from Frankland River bush vines. Aromatics of bright raspberry, cherry, dried rose and sweet herbs glide into a light-to-mid weight palate with slippery tannins and a lick of earthy spice. Chill it down for maximum enjoyment.Item description
Winemaking
Picked early for freshness. 90% Skin contact for 2 days. 10% whole bunch carbonic fermentation for 4 weeks. Wild ferment, unfined, no additions except sulphur before bottling.
Tasting Notes
Light, juicy and fragrant, this chillable Grenache bursts with red cherry, raspberry, and dried rose petal. Gentle spice and soft tannins round out a breezy, refreshing palate.
2022 Pinot Noir ‘Penury’
Western Australia, with a few notable exceptions, hasn’t traditionally been associated with Pinot Noir. Yet, if there's one winemaker who could redefine that narrative, it’s the meticulous A.J. Hoadley of La Violetta. Sourced from the same little Denmark vineyard where the Chardonnay and Meunier are grown. 2022 was a tremendous season in Great Southern, with picture book fruit.
Winemaking
This is a blend of three different Pinot Noir clones, wild fermented and barefoot stomped. Made in small, open fermenters, with 100% whole bunch carbonic, wild yeasts, traditional pigeage and hand plunging.
Tasting Notes
An intriguing study in contrast—earthy and mineral-driven, yet alive with the brightness of spice, dried flowers, and tart cherries. It’s a wine that dances between suppleness and savoury depth, offering a truly unique and unforgettable expression of the variety.
2023 Cabernet Franc ‘Fric Frac’
A joyful, aromatic take on Cabernet Franc from the cool Mount Barker subregion of WA’s Great Southern. Fric Frac is an ode to Loire Valley reds — all perfume and prettiness, but with an Australian edge. The 2023 vintage brought a long, even ripening window, allowing for early picking with plenty of flavour at low alcohols. The result is Cabernet Franc unchained: fresh and fragrant.
Winemaking
Cabernet Franc (with splashes of Pinot Noir and a local curiosity, Balzac Noir) was harvested early for freshness, destemmed but left largely whole-berry. Fermented wild in open bins, with gentle hand plunging to coax out colour and aroma without excessive tannin. After fermentation, it was pressed to seasoned oak barrels and matured for a short élevage to preserve purity and vibrancy. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulphur.
Tasting Notes
Aromatics of raspberry, violets, crushed herbs and a whisper of white pepper. On the palate, it’s juicy and sleek: ripe red fruits, subtle graphite minerality, and a sappy crunch through the finish. Silky tannins make for immediate drinkability, while a line of acidity keeps things fresh and food-friendly.
2022 ‘Up!’ Shiraz
The 2022 Syrah is a vivid expression of Great Southern’s cool-climate power and precision. Sourced from two exceptional sites—Karri Oak, west of Mount Barker, and a small parcel of new-generation Syrah clones from Swinney in Frankland River—it brings together the region’s hallmark purity, structure and aromatic intensity.
Winemaking
Fruit was grown on gravelly ironstone loam and granitic sands, delivering freshness and depth. Fermentation took place in small open-top vessels over 14-28 days, with gentle hand plunging and traditional foot treading. Around 10% whole clusters were included for spice and lift. Pressed directly to a mix of large-format Slavonian oak fuders and French barriques and hogsheads (15% new oak), the wine matured for 10 months before blending and bottling.
Tasting Notes
Vibrant and layered, the wine opens with a burst of red and black fruits before evolving into savoury notes of cured meats, game and spice. The palate is juicy and flowing, supported by florals, dark spice, and a ferrous mineral thread that anchors the finish. Concentrated yet refined, it captures the essence of Great Southern Syrah with depth, energy, and a cool-climate accent.