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Pol Roger Portfolio takes on cult Australian wine Mount Mary

UK importer Pol Roger Portfolio has taken on cult Australian winery Mount Mary, as the high-end Yarra Valley producer moves away from the global distribution system, La Place de Bordeaux.

Announced yesterday, the development sees Mount Mary become Pol Roger’s third Australian wine, joining Mulline Vintners and Voyager Estate, two great Australian wineries based in Geelong and Margaret River respectively.

Speaking exclusively to db about the addition of Mount Mary, Pol Roger Portfolio managing director James Simpson MW said that it showed that the importer had “faith in the UK wine trade and faith in Australia”.

He also said that Mount Mary fits with Pol Roger’s parameters of working with “top, family owned and operated producers”, while commenting, “and they are nice people”, referring to the Middleton family who run the estate.

While Simpson said there “would not be a lot of stock” of Mount Mary, which makes just four wines, he said that the wines “were terrific and not outrageously expensive.”

He believes that the UK hotel and restaurant sector will want to take on the wines, which is where the Middleton family would like to see Mount Mary featured, which may explain the producer’s decision to step away from La Place de Bordeaux – which saw the Australian wines distributed worldwide by French negociants.

Established in 1971 in Coldstream, Yarra Valley, by Dr John and Marli Middleton, Mount Mary was the pioneering producer of the region.

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Today it has 16 hectares of vineyards planted with 18 grape varieties. Now at the helm are the third-generation Sam and Claire Middleton, brother and sister. Sam runs the winery and Claire manages distribution and sales. This new generation has brought renewed focus on the vineyard, moving away from chemical herbicides and planting new plots previously unplanted. In 2024, Mount Mary was listed at fifth place in the top 100 wineries in the Halliday Wine Companion.

Four wines are made at Mount Mary, the most famous of these being Quintet, a Bordeaux Blend from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Alongside this is a tiny amount of Pinot Noir. On the whites, there is a Bordeaux style white ‘Triolet’, composed of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle, and a Chardonnay.

The partnership with Pol Roger Portfolio will see the importer focus on independent retail and the on-trade in the UK, while continuing to supply the private client sphere through Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Pol Roger Portfolio’s foray into Australian wine began two years ago with the representation of Mulline Vintners and Voyager Estate.

The Mount Mary full range will be available to taste for members of the press and trade in London on 4 March and Manchester on 6 March at the Pol Roger Portfolio Tasting.

Mount Mary joins Pol Roger Portfolio’s other family-owned producers, which include Champagne Pol Roger, Maison Joseph Drouhin, Domaine Vacheron, Bodegas Artadi, Cornell Vineyards, Bryant Estate, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Staglin Family Vineyard, Abreu, Kinsman Eades, TOR, Casanova di Neri, Dal Forno Romano, Sandrone, Mulline Vintners and Voyager Estate as well as Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt and Leiper’s Fork Distillery.

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