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.
2025 Muscat/Riesling Pet Nat 'Patio Nat'
Sourced from a single site in the cool Ferguson Valley, this sparkling wine is a dedicated exploration of black-skinned Muscat. The fruit is typically harvested in the cool of the night to preserve natural acidity and maintain a low pulp temperature upon arrival at the winery. This approach ensures the delicate aromatics and structural integrity of the variety are maintained from vine to bottle.
Winemaking
The fruit undergoes twenty hours of skin contact to extract colour and enhance aromatic lift. Following this, it is pressed to a combination of stainless steel tanks and seasoned puncheons for a slow, eight-week wild fermentation. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration, capturing the natural carbonation from the final stages of fermentation. A small inclusion of Great Southern Riesling (approximately 7%) is blended in to sharpen the citrus profile and provide additional drive on the finish. The wine remains undisgorged, resulting in a soft, integrated sparkle and minimal natural sediment.
Tasting Notes
Pale pink in the glass with a fine, persistent bead. The nose is highly aromatic, showing classic Muscat characters of rose petal and orange blossom alongside notes of mandarin pith. The barrel-fermented component introduces a subtle savoury dimension, while mineral phenolics provide a structured, textural mouthfeel. While the fruit shows an inherent sweetness, the palate is balanced by a crisp, dry finish. This is a refined yet accessible sparkling wine designed for immediate enjoyment.
2024 Pet Nat Riesling / Shiraz ‘Spunk Nat’
This Great Southern sparkling is a blend of 90% Frankland River Riesling and 10% Mount Barker Shiraz. By combining fruit from two distinct sub-regions, the wine achieves a balance of high-toned acidity and aromatic depth. The inclusion of Shiraz provides both the pale hue and a subtle red-fruit lift, resulting in a structured yet approachable expression of the pét-nat style.
Winemaking
The fruit underwent a short period of skin contact to build phenolic texture and aromatic intensity before being pressed and co-fermented using indigenous yeasts. To achieve a natural carbonation, the wine was bottled during the final stages of primary fermentation. It was carefully racked to ensure low levels of sediment and remains undisgorged, unfined, and unfiltered. This traditional method preserves natural tartrate crystals and a fine lees deposit, contributing to the stability and mouthfeel of the wine.
Tasting Notes
The nose offers lifted aromas of wild strawberry, spring blossom, and citrus peel. On the palate, the wine is lively and driven by the characteristic flinty acidity of Great Southern Riesling. Fine, integrated bubbles carry the primary fruit flavours, while extended lees contact provides a creamy texture and weight. A slight residual sweetness of 3–4 g/L balances the acid profile, leading to a clean and persistent finish. While designed for early consumption, the presence of lees will allow for further integration in the bottle over the next few years.
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.
2021 Vermentino / Pinot Gris / Gewürztraminer ’Lounge O’
La Violetta's 'Lounge O' is a vibrant, skin-contact white blend.
Primarily composed of Vermentino, it also includes Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, Zibibbo, and a touch of Cabernet Franc. Each grape variety undergoes skin contact for 5 to 30 days, contributing to the wine's complex texture and aromatic profile.
Winemaking
The wine is mostly wild-fermented and matured in stainless steel, with about 30% aged in 1500L Slavonian oak foudres. It remains on gross lees for six months before bottling, unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulphur added.
Tasting Notes
'Lounge O' presents a cloudy, unfiltered appearance and bursts with aromas of tropical fruits, musky Gewürztraminer, and citrusy Vermentino. On the palate, it offers a refreshing, dry finish with a gentle mineral backbone.
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
2022 Pinot Noir / Syrah / Pinot Meunier 'Ye-Ye' Rouge
A blend of Pinot Noir clones (777, 114, 115), Syrah, and Meunier, this red is built on a foundation of Denmark and Mount Barker fruit. The Pinot Noir provides lifted red fruit and herbal notes, while the Syrah, grown in ironstone gravelly loam, contributes plushness and spice. A portion of Denmark Meunier adds whole-bunch character and structural depth. The result is a medium-bodied red defined by its tension and savory complexity.
Winemaking
The winemaking process utilizes a combination of whole-bunch inclusion, whole-berry fermentation, and carbonic maceration. All components underwent wild fermentation before being transferred to oak for malolactic fermentation. The wine spent seven months in barrel and was bottled early to preserve primary fruit aromatics and "crunchy" acidity. The final wine focuses on a textural, layered mouthfeel with a slight phenolic grip.
Tasting Notes
The palate leads with red cherry, blackberry, and plum, supported by savory layers of sweet spice and dried herbs. There is a distinct mineral saltiness and a "spiky" tannin profile reminiscent of dried peppermint. Reduction presents as struck match and light toast, evolving into notes of earth and umami. Energetic and light-framed, but with a structural presence to offer a clean, dry, and savory finish.
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.
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.