Paul Byron and Ralph Dunning
Australia
Two wine luminaries forging a new path!
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These guys prove there’s no substitute for experience. They have simply been there and done it with some of the most admired wineries in the land.
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Paul and Ralph have a combined 65 years experience advancing other peoples' wine endeavours (and helping make those same people, ahhh, very rich along the way). Then they had their light bulb moment - it was time to break out and go it alone!
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Theirs is a skilled partnership that covers every aspect of the Australian wine trade: winemaking, marketing, management and administration. Yep, esteemed wine critics and wine drinkers have been sitting up and taking serious notice ever since they stepped out on their own. And, with such hard earned knowledge under their belts you’d be crazy not to!
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Debbie Lauritz has pulled out all the stops to cover her Puttin’ On Lau-Ritz range in first rate class! Without your support these wines would simply not exist.
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A passionate, cool-climate specialist with a C.V. that commands respect. Her winemaking passport is stamped with rites-of-passage sojourns to Alsace in France, Marlborough in New Zealand and Niagara in Canada before finally settling and crafting fine wines in the Central Ranges and Orange regions of New South Wales, Australia.
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Working multiple vintages at one of the most modern, celebrated, and cutting edge wineries of the region means Debbie has personally helped shape the success of this super-exciting corner of the wine world!
- This guy has serious street cred. Thirty two years in the biz has seen Tim making wines around the globe including super premium regions in France, Portugal and New Zealand. And then, in Australia for world-class giants Yalumba, St Hallett, Tatachilla and Chateau Tanunda - icons all.
- Oh, should mention too, that Tim Smith has been awarded 'Best Shiraz in the World' at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London in 2010 for a wine he crafted while working at Chateau Tanunda that sold north of $290 a bottle - love it!
- This multi award-winning genius has also hauled a staggering 12 Gold Medals from the Berlin Wine Show in 2010 back to his Australia home via his carry on. Let me repeat that last bit - 12 Gold Medals from one single international wine show!
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Simon Sorby Adams is one of the most influential and acclaimed winemakers in Australia, with 40 years experience in the Barossa.
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He was instrumental (firstly as Senior, then Chief Winemaker) at Yalumba for twenty years, in establishing the truly iconic international reputation for its masthead premium wines.
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Throughout his award-winning career, Sorby’s philosophy of seeking out the finest grapes from the best vineyards in the Barossa and high Eden to create exceptional wines, has been at the very heart of everything he does.
- His silky winemaking skills have helped the stunning West Cape Howe, Singlefile Wines and Rockcliffe wineries garner coveted 5-Star Halliday ratings, and, he’s also been named as a finalist for the Young Guns of Wine awards.
But, it was only very recently, when Coby summoned up all his courage to strike out on his own, that things really began to get, ahhh, Naked - began to really make sense!
Yep, when you helped Coby become a liberated Naked winemaker, able to handcraft small-volume boutique wines exclusively for Angels, that’s when another dream took shape and started to fly!
- Bart van Olphen’s wine journey is totally unique. Born and raised among the windmills and tulips of his native Holland, he learned his winemaking craft in Germany’s Pfalz region, honed it in the USA, handmade mighty reds alongside the legend that is Steve Pannell for eight years in McLaren Vale before settling in Victoria.
- Bart is married to Kim Chalmers of the famed Chalmers vineyards and it’s from these excellent family-grown grapes that he sources the most delectable, pristine fruit to power his Angel-exclusive B.V.O range of deliciousness!
- Bart is very much a minimal interventionist winemaker: grow the best fruit, let it talk and stay hands off as much as possible. And with the huge array of Chalmers grapes available to choose from Bart is like a kid in a candy store!
- Cathy & Neil now run their own brilliant Geographe vineyard, in Western Australia. This is where all the Boots & All magic happens, turning out hand crafted, textural wines full of TLC.
- With a combined 55 years of experience with some of the BIGGEST and BEST in the game, we didn’t hesitate welcoming this wonder couple in to the Naked community. Cathy honed her winemaking craft at the likes of St Hallet in the Barossa, and Neil’s vigneron experience has come from likes of the mighty Sandalford in Margaret River.
- It's been a long road to taking the leap and managing their own patch of perfect soil in Geographe, the dream for any passionate winemaker. Now, with Angel backing, Cathy & Neil have the ability to explore all sorts of boutique possibilities within their respective crafts. This is the kind of freedom that turns wine into something truly personal, unique and undeniably delicious.
- Anthony’s amazing career is dotted with other Aussie winemaking legends that he has learnt from, mentored or worked alongside. Joining Naked means Anthony can deliver his brothers-in-arms project to the tables of Angels everywhere, a powerful tribute to the life and pristine viticultural standards of his friend Kym.
- Both men had always nurtured a desire to do their own thing, seperate to the mass wine companies. Kym’s vast experience led him to discover the very finest Victorian vineyard site: north facing, high altitude, pristine cool-climate, brilliant fertile deep-red soil. He bought it, and planted it in 1995 with a proven, old, local Shiraz clone. “Kym believed his vineyard was as close to heaven as you could get - he loved it.”
- Before Naked, Anthony had amassed literally hundreds of wine awards including the World’s Best Shiraz for his 2005 Heathcote Shiraz at the Decanter International Wine & Spirit Competition. Today, Anthony continues to help Kym’s family by purchasing the premium Shiraz fruit and creating outstanding wine that pays homage to all the traits his dear friend showed - big, generous and full of life.
- We’ve rolled out the red carpet… Angels are now in the presence of Aussie wine royalty! Caroline was the first female winemaker ever to win the coveted, and world famous, Jimmy Watson Trophy - the most prestigious and sought after wine award in Australia while she was paving the way for Wolf Blass.
- 2017 marks the start of her most exciting challenge yet, channelling her experience into crafting boutique wines, just for Angels!
- Caroline was awarded Best Shiraz in the World at the illustrious International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, U.K.in 2002 for her Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz. Let’s repeat that last bit… Best. Shiraz. in. the. World.
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