Oh, how I love 2010 Yarra reds! The varietal integrity on show here is bang-on. Fragrant violets, blackcurrants, capsicum, freshly picked tomatoes, tobacco leaf and high cocoa dark chocolate – you name it, this wine has it. Everything is set against an expertly crafted backbone of superfine, firmly structured tannins of dusty, graphite-like precision. At […]
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Inclusion of stalks in ther ferment of Yarra shiraz is a delicate art, finding a balance of exotic spice and texture, without diminishing the expression of fruit and sense of place. Dave Bicknell has gauged it just right here, with the anise, sarsaparilla and cola of whole bunches coalescing seamlessly with the supple, generous fruit […]
readHere comes another benchmark Wallcliffe, at once seductively seamless and silky and at the same time bracingly structured. Fermented in one-third new French oak barrels, it’s a captivating interplay of remarkable complexity, encased in a beautifully polished and seamless shell, spanning coffee beans, capsicum, hazelnuts, preserved lemon, even linden blossom. The palate is the epitome […]
readLike a tightly-coiled spring ready to slowly unravel, this is a cabernet blend crafted for the long-haul. Closed up tight, it presents an intricately honed structure of fruit and oak tannins colliding to produce a refined, graphite-like texture which builds on the finish. Crunchy blackcurrant fruits hover amidst tangy acidity of long-lingering intensity. $39 at […]
readA chardonnay of consummate elegance and grace and yet exactingly high tensile structure, encapsulating the mood of the season in its intricately fine, mineral structure, razor-edged acidity and a finish even longer than its name. Immense complexity of struck flint and charcuterie underline subtle purity of lemon and grapefruit on the bouquet. The palate carries […]
readPainstakingly crafted and electrically energised, this is a chardonnay of remarkable drive and longevity. An electrifying shard of 2011 acidity and lemon juice purity impales the core of the palate, drawing it out tangy, graceful and exceedingly elegant. The bouquet is a celebration of sensational delicacy: lifted white lily blossom, lemon zest, fresh grapefruit pulp […]
readAnnouncing another outstanding Cape Mentelle with an immense future before it. Epic poise meets understated generosity, clocking in at a refreshing 13.5% alcohol. The complexity on display this year is mind-boggling: within its signature frame of blackcurrants, high cocoa dark chocolate and cedar come nuances of coal, even black olives, hovering with haunting persistence. High […]
readThe Australian Wine Industry’s most prestigious award, the 2012 McWilliam’s Maurice O’Shea Award, was last night awarded to the Australian Screwcap Initiative.
readI’ve always felt that Central Otago’s inherent acidity never sits quite as harmoniously in Felton’s Dry Riesling as it does in its sweeter renditions, yet the vintage from the gods has blessed it with an internal balance like it has not seen before. This is a precisely crafted riesling that presents fruit intensity within an […]
readIt’s as if the 2012 season has amplified the mineral expression in Felton Road, infusing this riesling with a deep-set mineral backbone that provides textural definition, direction and drive. Outside the hallowed Grand Crus of Germany and Alsace, it’s a rare thing for a sweet riesling to be so profoundly scaffolded around its mineral structure, […]
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