Chapel Hill has crafted one of the great McLaren Vale cabernets of the modern era, from a single vineyard of seventeen-year-old vines; a wine of poise and intricate definition, with an immense future before it. The bouquet is remarkably evocative, leaping out of the glass with glorious violet fragrance, crunchy red capsicum, precise tobacco leaf […]
readArticles
This is my fizz of choice when I’m entertaining hundreds on a shoestring. It’s elegant (there’s a word you don’t often hear at this price) with white peach, lemon and honey flavours, a refreshing palate and creamy bead. Full dosage lends a honeyed sweetness to the finish, which benefits from a solid chill to tone […]
readBy far the most colourful gris out of Marlborough in 2012 – a salmon-peach approaching rosé hue – this is also one of the most textural wines of the vintage yet. Crucially, its textural palate does not produce hardness on the finish, but culminates in lively acidity, fresh pear, peach and lemon zest, with a […]
readFine-grained, structural tannins place this wine clearly on Watervale limestone, while classic mint notes make it unmistakably Clare. Impressive geopositioning in the glass for a wine that can be yours for just $18 (Cracka). Varietal leaf and green capsicum characters meet generous blackcurrant and crunchy redcurrant fruit of impressive persistence.
readThe great 2010 season has been at work here, building impressive depth of blackberries, black cherries and liquorice, scaffolded with a firm, chewy tannin profile that will see it out for a couple more years yet. For the price, its lingering black fruits definition is something to behold. $18 at Nicks and Purvis.
readThe level of refinement at Geographe’s top estate rises a notch with each passing season, and this year its premium wines are really taking on an interesting edge for the first time. This is an edgy, tangy and taut sauvignon, bringing the zesty energy of this variety under control with the creamy, textural notes of […]
readGewürztraminer of true structure is a rare thing in Australia, and Henschke has captured a delicate balance between acid and phenolic texture that makes for a serious contender. It’s crisp, clean and pure gewürztraminer with pretty aromatics of Pink Lady Apple and rosewater. The palate carries a pure apple and pear fruit profile, with an […]
readFor some reason, this is significantly more expensive in Australia than New Zealand, but in the grand scheme of sauvignon, it’s well worth it. It’s raised an echelon thanks to its impressively textured structure of finely gravelly mouthfeel and lingering, textural persistence, an accurate portrayal of stony, limestone-influenced soils adjacent to the Huangarua River. The […]
readPurposely picked late in the season to capture exquisite notes of poached pear ripeness, the key to this wine is that it retains its delicacy, poise and persistence in the midst of succulence and a touch of residual sweetness. Grown on the northern edge of the Martinborough Terrace gravels, it retains an undercurrent of gravelly […]
read“My philosophy when it comes to choosing a vineyard is that if it’s made sparkling base, I want it! You can’t beat natural acidity!” With such a mandate, it’s no surprise that Sam Coverdale’s top chardonnay is sourced from the Mornington’s highest vineyard. The result is an exciting wine of focus and tightly honed restraint, […]
read