As if a culmination of every complexing element of every other fortified wine that has gone before it, each assembled intricately into a seamless whole, Chambers takes Rutherglen muscat to a new pinnacle. Its Grand Muscat is of rare calibre by any comparison, and its Rare is in another league altogether. The average age is […]
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If you thought Morris’ twenty-year-old rare was the end of the line, this new release will blow your mind. David Morris says it’s hard to say just how old it is, but he puts it somewhere in the 35-40 year realm. Just 100 half bottles are released each year of this jet-black treacle. The nose […]
readVarietally accurate cabernet, pre-aged for eight years at just $10 (direct). Yes, you heard me correctly. Chambers aims for a low alcohol, high acid style that dispels the myth that Rutherglen is all about hot, baked fortifieds and monstrous reds. This is a bright and lively cabernet, refreshingly youthful for its pending release as an […]
readEarly picked grenache from well managed estate Rutherglen vineyards explains the elegance of this clean, fresh rosé. It’s pretty, pale salmon pink in hue, with a lovely perfume of rose petals and strawberry hull, showcasing balanced acidity on a light palate. Its tiny residual sweetness is imperceptible, but plays a clever role in integrating its […]
readTwo great little rosés under $15 in the same week! This cleverly crafted thing has the structure and style to step beyond the average rosé, into a world of wonderful food matching versatility. Simon Killeen harvests the Portuguese varieties touriga nacional, tinta cao and tinta barroca a little earlier than he does for port, but […]
readRutherglen knows a thing or two about muscat and Rutherglen Estates is the custodian of the largest plantings in the region. This moscato has impressive fruit character, which maker Marc Scalzo puts down to the grape muscat blanc à petits grains rouge, a smaller grape, finer and less phenolic than muscat gordo blanco. A touch of […]
readWinemaker Marc Scalzo prizes texture in white wines, and works like a demon to build mouth feel without sacrificing varietal integrity and freshness. He picks arneis the moment the flavour kicks in, while retaining tangy lemon-like acidity. A lovely lees-accented texture is built through plenty of lees stirring. Lively lemon zest, pink grapefruit and fresh […]
readThrow out the boxes, this wine flies in the face of every generalisation going. Who would have expected Rutherglen to conjure decent merlot in the challengingly cold and wet 2011 vintage, from vines that Simon Killeen himself describes as “the awful clone of merlot”? At just 12% alcohol it’s a lovely, light, lunchtime red, with […]
readTempranillo excited me more than any other table wine in Rutherglen last week. No surprise that the fortified capital of Australia is turning its hand to the traditional varieties of Spain and Portugal. Campbells has had tempranillo in the ground since the 1960s, making it a pioneer of this variety in Australia. At a refreshing […]
readMore expertise is poured into this wine than you’d expect for $20. It’s picked in two passes to achieve consistency of ripeness, then wild fermented in barrels with plenty of grape solids to build impressively fine texture. It retains its clean, zesty freshness of grapefruit and lemon, crunchy pear and custard apple notes. The entire […]
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