We are thrilled to bring Wine on the Water back for this years Fine Vines Festival.
On Friday 14 October, join us as we hop aboard Naturaliste Charters Whale Watching catamaran Alison Maree and experience a sunset canapé whale watching cruise with wine. This tasting and coastal exploration is an ideal experience that vividly illustrates the influence of the wild landscape on production of Margaret River Region wines.
Your ticket includes a 2.5 hour sunset cruise, a wine tasting of Clairault Streicker wines accompanied by substantial canapés prepared by the Clairault Streicker team.
Date & Time
October 14, 2022
4:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location
Dunsborough Professional Fisherman's Boat Ramp 306 Geographe Bay Rd, Quindalup WA 6281, Australia
Cost
$195.00+bf
Click here for more information
Fine Vines Festival brings together a curated selection of more than 30 unique events showcasing the quality and depth of the Margaret River region’s premium wine offering. Back this Spring, over 10 days you’ll get insider access to the vines, experts and wines from over 80 local producers that have shaped the Margaret River region over the past 50+ years.
The lineup is out now! We recommend booking ahead as these events are always highly sought after.
Click here for more information on Fine Vines Festival.
The Margaret River region can surprise unfamiliar visitiors with it's vast size and generous offerings. It's easy to get side-tracked with the beautiful places on offer, and that is why we suggest planning your visit with one of the local self-guide drive trails.
Whether you are driving from Perth to Margaret River, or flying straight into the Busselton Margaret River Airport, see more of what matters with these recommended routes so you can take it all in, in your own time.
Our venue is located in the heart of the Wilyabrup subregion, approximately 15 minutes drive south of Dunsborough, 30 minutes south-west of Busselton and 30 minutes north of Margaret River.
There are five self-drive guide trails within the region, with our venue fitting into the Gracetown to Cowaramup: Harvest and Vines Trail.
Connect to the generosity of the earth, and those who are dedicated to her.
Almost like a golden triangle of winemaking, the humble area between Gracetown and Cowaramup, known as Wilyabrup, is where locals and visitors go to live like kings. The land is bountiful and giving. It’s the region’s powerhouse of vineyards, farming, working families and artisan production.
Once a land of milk (literally), there’s now honey and wine. The landscape is one of rolling fields, hay bales and lush vineyards bordered by virgin native bushland. Those who visit have no choice but to witness the seasons first-hand and are compelled to meet the makers, see the production and sample the fruits of land, labour and love. It’s like all roads lead to this special pilgrimage.
Old secrets of winemaking, brewing, distilling and tempering are whispered here. Of course, days end at the coast, and in this case, it’s Gracetown’s Cowaramup Bay, where the sun sets into the water.
Plan your drive along the Gracetown to Cowaramup: Harvest and Vines Trail.
There's something for everyone at our Cellar Door & Vineyard Kitchen. We have a few different tasting options, listed below, or stay and enjoy a leisurely lunch overlooking the vines, luscious greens and native bushland. The food is seasonal and modern, served in a casual style and made with ingredients sourced from producers local to the venue.
Seated Tasting - take a seat and let our knowledgeable team guide you on your own wine journey.
$10 per person for 6 wines, allow 30 minutes.
Sample Wine Flight - enjoy 30mL samples of 6 of our wines at your own pace, in a location suited to you. Spread out on our lawn, outside on the deck, or inside by the fireplace.
$15 per person for 6 wines, equates to 2 glasses of wine - plan your drive home safely.
Wine Blending Experience - for those who wish to step things up a notch, for the vino aficionado. A dedicated team member will sit down and guide you through the wine blending process, to help you blend your very own wine. Learn the theory behind why and how wines are blended, then measure, mix and taste a wine to your taste.
$85 per person, allow 90 minutes, take home a bottle of your blend
Located next door to us at Clairault Streicker is the epitome of luxury accommodation in Margaret River, Cape Lodge. It impresses with the appearance of a private country estate, but the trappings of a world-class boutique hotel. The rooms are centred around a picturesque lake and forest, surrounded by manicured grounds, pool, a waterside restaurant and vineyard. The fine dining restaurant is available to guests for inclusive private breakfast, and open to the public for dinners, special events and the signature Cape Lodge cooking school with renowned chef Tony Howell.
The entry into Eight Willows Retreat is striking; a winding driveway that crosses a lake, surrounded by native bushland, with a scenic gazebo perched over the water. Here, 25 self-contained chalets are set on 75 acres of pristine nature, with each positioned for maximum privacy. The Retreat is located away from the hustle and bustle of towns for a secluded and relaxing stay. Choose from one or two bedroom chalets as well as one grand 10-person country residence.
Make a wine purchase through our website in the month of February to go in the draw to win a Cellar Club Half a Dozen membership for the year. There is no minimum spend and tis competition is open to all customers, including existing Cellar Club members.
Our Cellar Club is how we connect, engage and reward our loyal customers. We ship your wine selectiont o your door every March, July and November. The Half A Dozen features six fantastic every day drinking wines from our Clairault Margaret River range. Winner will be drawn Wednesday 9 March, 2022. Click here for full Terms & Conditions.
We are thrilled to share Erin Larkin's recent review of our 2019 Streicker Ironstone Block Chenin Blanc which was featured as a Best Value Wine in the Feb/Mar edition of the Halliday Wine Companion Magazine.
Receiving a massive 96/100 and these tasting notes...
"Green mango, apple skins, brine, lanolin and apricots. All classic chenin things. There is also cap gun, flint, garden mint and elderflower. On the palate the phenolics really create a plump, pillowy shape in the mouth. This is moving towards Saumur in style, I would be hard pressed to pick it as an Aussie. The phenolics are absolutely countersunk into the fruit in a very sleek way, the spices are flinty and savoury, but in no way cloud the purity of the fruit. A wonderful, nuanced wine. Very long.“ - Erin Larkin
A special result for a special variety of ours from the Ironstone Vineyard in Wilyabrup. Next time you are choosing a drop, why not make it a chenin blanc. Enjoy!
The 2022 Wine Companion was just released, and we are very excited to share for the first time our name was printed in red, alongside our running five red stars. According to editor Tyson Stelzer, "The winery name printed in red denote the best of the best with a long track record of excellence in upholding a 5-star rating for the past ten years." This places us in the top 12.8% of wineries in the Wine Companion, a space we are honoured to sit within.
Here are a few of our best scores,
2017 Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - 96 points
"89/11% cabernet sauvignon/franc. 14 days on skins, 18 months in French oak (50% new). Elegant, balanced and fine cabernet from a cool year. The supple fruit is wrapped up in a package of finely gripping tannins, cooling acidity and exotic spice, hinting at both a long future in the cellar and pleasure on the table tonight. Wonderful stuff." - Erin Larkin
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2019 Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay - 96 points
"Whole-bunch pressed, fermented in oak (40% new), a portion underwent mlf, matured for 9 months with fortnightly bâtonnage. Perhaps unsurprisingly oak-driven at this very early stage, but the underlying fruit has persistence and quiet concentration that linger on the palate, determined to outlast the oak. Which it does. Eminently classy and layered, by the time this is released it will be a superstar." Erin Larkin
2019 Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon - 95 points
"Just over 6% cabernet franc added. On skins for 14 days, matured in French oak barrique for 10 months. An interesting wine – the flavour is not intensely concentrated, but it is exceedingly long. When you think it has finished, it continues. Cassis, raspberry, bay leaf and violets. There is pepper and saline acid in there, too. Elegant, understated and restrained; a cabernet for the ages." - Erin Larkin
2019 Clairault Estate Chardonnay - 95 points
"Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, fermented in oak (40% new), lees stirred fortnightly in barrel for 9 months after mlf. Very closed at this very early stage of its obviously long life. Taut acidity that is pure brine; white orchard fruit and thundering length of flavour are all the hallmarks of brilliance. The shutters are pulled right now, but that doesn't mean there's no one at home. Wait." - Erin Larkin
2016 Streicker Bridgeland Block Syrah - 95 points
"Hand picked in 2 lots, 4 days apart. 33% of stalks from the first pick added back to the ferment. Each lot was vinified and matured independently for 4 months in Burgundian oak (33% new), blending occurred just prior to bottling. A savoury, layered and delicate wine, with complex flavours that continue to emerge over a very long finish. Tannins are pervasive, the spice rack is opened at freshly grated nutmeg, and the fruit is savoury and red." - Erin Larkin
2019 Streicker Bridgeland Block Fume Blanc - 95 points
"Cracked coconut, coriander seed, fennel flower, sugar snap peas and graphite against a backdrop of turmeric, saffron, lemon pith and brine. On the palate, this shows just as much of the vineyard as it does the winemaker's hand – the oak and fruit are at constant war with each other for dominance. This needs a year in bottle for the peace treaties to be signed, but life post-signing promises harmony, interest and deliciousness. It has the potential to polarise, but on my page, this is impressive." - Erin Larkin
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2020 Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon - 93 points
"Grassy aromatics lead into the crunchy green palate. Plenty of refreshment and taut acidity here to liven up a hot afternoon. Kiwi fruit, rosewater and lemon flesh to close." - Erin Larkin
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2019 Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay - 93 points
"Barrel fermented in French oak (40% new), partial mlf and 9 months' maturation with lees stirring. Classy, refined and layered, this is still at an inchoate stage, but all things are in place for a future of grace and poise. Delicate, but enduring." - Erin Larkin
2019 Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Merlot - 93 points
"27% merlot. 10 months in French oak. What an unbelievably aromatic and fragrant nose ... sweet forest berries, gentle spice and toasty oak are all wrapped up in a plush package. The palate obediently follows the path laid down by the aromas. Neat little wine." - Erin Larkin
We are proud to announce the Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2017 was presented with a Gold Medal at the world largest wine competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards 2021.
With 18,094 wines tasted from 56 countries over 15 consecutive days in June, our cabernet merlot was one of 635 gold medals awarded within the show.
The wine was rated 95/100 and feedback from the judges said, "definitively Cabernet, rewarding with delicious menthol, damp wood, cassis, mint and high-toned florals on a bed of finely textured tannins. Very Bordelaise, generous and open.”
Every wine we entered was awarded a medal, with 3 x silvers and 1 x bronze.
2017 Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon – Silver (92/100) Judges Comments: “Brooding and showing plenty of soul, with its savoury plums, black spice and anise, framed by super-fine tannins. Fine-boned and seamless length”
2019 Halley & Lex Sauvignon Blanc – Silver (91/100) Judges Comments: “Hints of guava and pineapple among tones of lemon, lime cordial, cut grass, sage and mint. Excellent roundness, texture and length.”
2018 Halley & Lex Cabernet Sauvignon – Silver (91/100) Judges Comments: “Complex, savoury, dark and ripe, with its fine, velvety tannins providing a posed backdrop for focused plums, blackcurrant and cigar smoke.”
2018 Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay – Bronze (89/100) Judges Comments: “Ripe, textural wine with mushy apples, ripe pears and white flower notes."
Clairault Streicker is pleased to announce the release of their flagship wine, the Streicker Nysa, a Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
The release is the first flagship by Clairault Streicker and a regional rarity as a Cabernet Franc dominant flagship wine.
The fruit for the Streicker Nysa is grown at the Clairault Vineyard in Wilyabrup, with the first vines planted in 1976 by geologist Ian and wife Ani Lewis.
Senior Vineyard Manager and Viticulturist Chris Gillmore explains, “Cabernet Franc is the oldest Bordeaux varietal and the father of Cabernet Sauvignon.”
“The climate, the soil, the landscape, the heritage clones come together at this special site we refer to as the A Block to present pristine fruit worthy of our flagship.”
The A Block is ideally suited to Cabernet varieties due to its ironstone gravel soils and gentle sloping NE-SW position. The vines have been carefully developed on an open lyre trellis system to enable cooling of the fruit zone and canopy, particularly in the warmer months as the fruit is ripening.
The fruit is hand-picked early in the morning when the berries are still cool. The fruit is destemmed and lightly crushed. It soaks on its skins for 14 days, before gentle pressing and barrelling down. The Cabernet Sauvignon portion is aged in French oak barriques for 15 months. The Cabernet Franc on the other hand, requires a gentle ageing platform and environment, and so, is aged in larger French oak puncheons for 15 months.
Chief Winemaker Bruce Dukes says, “Nysa is a precedent in innovation and tradition.”
“The leading role of Cabernet Franc in a luxury Margaret River cuvee is indeed rare, as Cabernet Sauvignon typically earns that mantle. We are delighted with this leading role because the Franc brings such approachability and suppleness to the cuvee, yet still with great definition and support from the equally old Cabernet Sauvignon vines.”
After 44 years of producing Cabernet in Margaret River and countless hours of hand-tending to the old vines of the A Block, Chris Gillmore believes the best is yet to come.
The 2015 Streicker Nysa will be available as of Monday 19 October at the Cellar Door and via our website here.
It was another stellar year for Clairault Streicker Wines in the 2021 Wine Companion, continuing our 5 Red Star streak. The 5 Red Stars indicate an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.
The Clairault Cellar Release Petit Verdot 2014 was awarded by James Halliday and his team as “The Best of the Best”. After reviewing a pool of more than 9000 Australian wines in 2021, a handful of standouts are chosen for The Best of the Best. The Petit Verdot made it into the Other Red Varieties and Blends category. With a score of 97/100 and a Special Value Star, we only make this wine in years of warm growing seasons.
The Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon received an outstanding score of 96/100 with a Special Value Star. Whilst another three wines were scored 95/100, the Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2018 and the Streicker Blanc de Blanc 2015 – it’s highest score yet.
Clairault Cellar Release Petit Verdot 2014
97/100, Special Value Star & Best of the Best
“This rich, luxuriant wine has aged beautifully to early middle age, with plenty more in store. A glossy mid-ruby. Aromas of graphite, pencil lead, blood plum, mulberry and cedar are pixelated by juicy acidity and impeccably honed granular tannins. Coffee-bean-mocha flavours linger long, yet they are a conflation of well judged extraction, the right riff of oak and optimally ripe fruit. Nothing excessive here. Bravo!”
- SOLD OUT -
Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
96/100 & Special Value Star
“Hand-picked and gently crushed, to the point that the berries just split, without gleaning excessive astringency. Pumped over for 18 days, three-times per day. The sort of extraction regime more should adopt. Fermentation was then finished in French barriques and aged for 18 months (45% new). Straight cabernet No adulterant agents. A whiplash of cassis, black olive, bouquet garni and clove. Compelling intensity here, with gravelly graphite tannins keeping it all on the straight and narrow. There is no doubt that this rich red will provide riveting drinking in maturity. Now, still structural; almost sculptuesque of composition.”
Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
95/100
“A pleasure to taste a wine that is firmly of its turf, while offering a savoury, restrained complexion in keeping with the better addresses in this part of the world. Bouquet garni, lead and pencil shavings intermingle with blackcurrant, sage and mint. The oak guides the flavours long while providing a bit of cedar bristle across the seams. This will settle across the long life ahead. Very fine, pointed, graphite-complex, compellingly long and highly regional.”
Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2018
95/100
“This is sumptuous chardonnay, standing out across a range of very fine reds. From the heart of Wilyabrup, this was barrel-fermented across an arsenal of new (33%) to partly used wood, stirred periodically and aged for 9 months. A portion underwent malolactic conversion. Peaches and cream. A luxuriant core of creamed cashew and praline, with vanilla pod oak sewing the seams. An alluvial pulse with a maritime thrum, carrying it long. Very.”
Streicker Blanc De Blancs 2015
95/100
“This ambitious fizz spent 30 months on lees which, to be frank, is just long enough. While there is the salty tang of maritime acidity driving the wine long, it is not high enough to cope with more yeast-embellishment. Well judged! Brioche, lanolin and lots of praline scents mingle with stone fruit allusions and a whiff of jasmine. This is a very good sparkling. Rich, but fresh. Poised and authoritative. It sits in the mouth without any hard angles.”
- SOLD OUT -
Streicker Bridgeland Block Fume Blanc 2018
94/100 & Special Value Star
“Hand-picked, cold crushed and barrel-fermented (33% new oak), remaining in barrel for 9 months. Such a more interesting, drinkable style than the bang-in-and-out styles too often seen. Oak threads a loom of complexity with sauvignon otherwise seldom seen: lanolin, lemon drop, spearmint, red currant and greengage, woven across a quilt of mineral detail and crunch with a seam of great length and calm. Nothing tangy or sour. A very good wine auguring well for mid-term ageing.”
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Clairault Estate Chardonnay 2018
93/100
“Barrel fermented following whole-bunch pressing. Fermented across a judiciously selected oak swag, punctuated by 40% new. A tight wine, marked by classy oak. I mean this in a good way. While there are ample stone fruit scents with an emphasis on nectarine, the oak cladding curtails any precocity, setting this wine up for a bright future for those patient enough. A creamy core of nougatine provides immediate sustenance.”
Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
93/100
“This is a delicious first cab off the estate's rank. A smidgeon of franc (13%) in the mix. Mid-weighted of feel, with ample fruit honed by a stamp of sinewy, savoury, gently verdant tannic astringency. This works better with a wine such as this: less ambitiously extracted, built for imminent to mid-term pleasure and nevertheless, marked by a fealty to place. Impressive and fine value. Currant, blue berry and anise, if you must know.”
Halley & Lex Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
93/100 & Special Value Star
“Very well put together, the intricate, striking label, the gently spiced bouquet likewise hitting the spot. The medium-bodied palate has all the length you could hope for at the price, its texture and structure the framework for a drink anywhere, any time. Impressive value.”
Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018
92/100
“Grist to the regional mill of blackcurrant, satsuma plum, mulch, mint and a sash of sage to black olive-clad tannins. A bit verdant in youth, but I have full confidence that this will settle with patience. Medium to full-bodied and highly savoury.”
Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay 2018
91/100
“A tightly wound chardonnay, still in the grip of its oak handling. Fermented and matured in French wood, with its vanilla-pod-cedar creases dominating a whiff of stone fruits and leesy curd and nougat notes. Time will tell.”
- BUY NOW -
Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2019
91/100 & Special Value Star
“Largely tank-fermented, albeit, 22% goes into oak for textural pedigree. The yeast is flavour enhancing, exuding passion fruit to guava notes. Mid-weighted and intense, the wine careens along a rail of tangy acidity mitigated by a slaty rail and a curb of oak. This is all poolside slushy with a wink of sophistication.”
- BUY NOW -
Halley & Lex Sauvignon Blanc 2019
90/100 & Special Value Star
“Long on flavour, intensity and depth. The ride is a wild one, the wine made to measure for fish soup or other full-flavoured marine dishes.”
Recently Nick Stock visited the Margaret River region and tasted over 500 bottles for James Suckling.com. We were lucky enough to have a selection of our Clairault and Streicker Wines reviewed and all were met with very positive feedback. Many of the wines listed are currently available in our Online Shop Here.
Read through Executive Editor Nick Stock's scores of our wines and tasting notes below...
Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Wilyabrup Estate 2016
Score: 93 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – There’s an air of cedary oak and an almost tarry edge to the red berries and blueberries with sage, gun smoke and bay leaf, too. The palate has a very succulent feel with impressively juicy, spicy berries, wrapped in sturdy, smooth-honed and fresh tannins. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Clairault Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Estate 2017
Score: 92 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – Some toasty and flinty complexity here with a grilled-peach and lemon nose, leading to a palate that has a wealth of savory, peach-kernel and spiced-almond flavors. Drink now. Screw cap.
Clairault Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Margaret River 2019
Score: 92 Points
18 Mar, 2020 – Super pure, upbeat and fresh aromas of peaches, lemons and mangoes lead to a palate that has such juicy, vibrant and smooth-honed style. Delicious peaches and lemons and some pears to close. Drink now. Screw cap.
Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2017
Score: 92 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – This has aromas of brambly ripe dark berries and plums that intersect with cedar, leaves and cocoa powder. The palate has such smooth, fluid tannins and delivers ripe dark-berry flavors in abundance. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Streicker Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Ironstone Block Old Vine 2014
Score: 92 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – This slightly older cabernet has developed such attractive earthy and leafy aromas, across the blueberries and blackcurrants. Plenty of herbal kick and tobacco, too. The palate is delivered in such smooth layers of flavor-soaked tannin. Blueberry and plum flavors abound here. So long and fluid. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Streicker Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River Bridgeland Block Fumé Blanc 2018
Score: 92 Points
18 Mar, 2020 – This has very attractively fresh aromas of guava and spiced lime curd, as well as lemon butter. The palate has freshness with a gently creamy, plush textural build. Spicy finish. Drink in the next four years. Screw cap.
Streicker Pinot Noir Margaret River Bridgeland Block 2018
Score: 91 Points
16 Mar, 2020 – Attractive red berries and a gently leafy, sappy and herbal edge make for appealing pinot. The palate has fine-grained tannins and a fresh red-berry core with bright, crunchy acidity delivering a lively finish. Drink now. Screw cap.
Streicker Chardonnay Margaret River Ironstone Block Old Vine 2017
Score: 91 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – This has a vibrant, fresh and upbeat stone-fruit nose with plenty of fleshy, lightly tangy peaches on the palate. Drink now. Screw cap.
Halley & Lex Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2017
Score: 91 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – Attractive violets and fresh purple berries abound here with a very juicy array of fine, sweetly ripe tannin, delivering rich, mulberry and blackcurrant flavors in approachable mode. Drink now. Screw cap.
Streicker Syrah Margaret River Bridgeland Block 2014
Score: 90 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – This shows some savory development with dark, toasted spices, bacon fat and dried red plums. Some earthy notes, too. The palate has a spice, mocha and meat thread with plenty of ripe dark berries. Sleek tannins. Still fresh at the finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Streicker Chenin Blanc Margaret River Ironstone Block 2017
Score: 90 Points
19 Mar, 2020 – An attractive, lemon-centered style with a little toasty edge adding interest, as well as some flinty notes. The palate has a fine, juicy and elegant feel with smooth, supple, fleshy build. Drink now. Screw cap.
Clairault Chardonnay Margaret River 2018
Score: 89 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – The bright, fresh melon and peaches here are appealing with a smooth and easygoing, fresh-peach palate. Drink now. Screw cap.
If you'd like to read more results from the Margaret River tasting by Nick Stock, you can subscribe to JamesSuckling.com here.
Clairault Streicker Wines are over the moon with the news that the new Halley & Lex Cabernet Sauvignon has placed in James Halliday’s Top 100 List in The Australian.
The Halley & Lex range is a new release by Clairault Streicker Wines, with exclusive availability throughout the trade. It features a quirky and vibrant label telling the story of how the name came to be Halley & Lex.
The feedback from Mr Halliday read, “very well put together, the intricate striking label, the gently spiced bouquet likewise hitting the spot. The medium-bodied palate has all the length you could hope for at the price, its texture and structure the framework for a drink anywhere, any time. Impressive value.”
If you are in the trade and interested in this wine, contact the distibutor in your market here.