From the cool climate of the picturesque Adelaide Hills, the La Bise (French for the kiss) is everything you want in a Gris and more! A fruit-forward nose of pretty citrus zest and blossom greets you at first swirl, and then it’s generous on the palate, super-easy drinking, and scarily smashable! The only thing to ponder after a glass of this lovely drop is who are YOU going to kiss?

When winemaker Natasha Mooney is not busy pioneering biodynamic and organic practices in Barossa, for her estate label, ‘The Thief?’, she is also rejuvenating old vineyards and getting quality fruit in Adelaide Hills. The result is her side project, ‘La Bise’, which refers to ‘the kiss of life’ those old vineyards display after some much-needed love and attention. La Bise allows Tash to showcase her talents with exciting cool-climate varietals; these wines also shine a necessary light on some charming sub-regions of Adelaide Hills. Bountiful Lobethal and historic Oakbank are where Tash’s ‘fruit first and oak later’ style of Chardonnay comes from. While the small town of Kersbrook, with its many apple orchards and cideries, is where you can find Fiano, Pinot Gris, Nero d’Avola, and the capricious but always delicious Sangiovese. La Bise wines walk a fine line between intense fruit and crisp acidity. In other words, it’s like a breath of fresh air or how you feel when your favourite song comes on. There’s just great energy about these wines. La Bise produces captivating drops showing regionality and clever but unimposing winemaking. Ultimately La Bise is a compelling argument for sustainable farming, that when you show a bit of love to the land, the vineyards will undoubtedly respond with a ‘kiss of life’… or, in this case, some delicious wines.