Gone is viognier’s usual exuberant, flamboyant and pungent personality, replaced with a more contemplative demeanour. Subdued by the restraint of the season, there’s a honed lemon zest accent and a crunchy, savoury texture reminiscent of almost ripe apricots, supported by suggestions of meal, apricot kernel and vanilla custard. It lacks nothing in persistence, texture or […]
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2011 is a beautifully and exactingly crafted Clonakilla that upholds balance, persistence, longevity and harmony that transcend the challenges of the season. Great complexity and spicy intrigue begin in a bouquet singing with violets, plums, rhubarb, star anise, bay leaf, even curry powder, and an ever-present undercurrent of white pepper. A tightly packed core of […]
readThere’s a structural confidence and an effortlessly balanced harmony at play here that take Turkey Flat to an altogether new level. Pristine violets, hints of nutmeg and beautifully defined black plum and blackberry fruits are propelled by a firm tannin engine that delivers both tremendous stamina and purrs with a refined, silky touch. Signature Barossa […]
readSandro Mosele is forever on the move, constantly tweaking the intricacies of his craft; patently apparent in a vintage as harmonious as 2010. His Estate Chardonnay is charged with focused energy and piercing purity, shot with pristine grapefruit and lemon; a wine of honed focus and yet depth, width, even juicy white peach appeal, without […]
readCliff Royle is the definition of intuitive winemaking, throwing out the recipe to free himself to play with all the fine details in response to the fruits of the vintage. The outcome is a chardonnay that reflects the concentration of Margaret River in a warmer vintage, yet exemplifies earlier picked, lower alcohol energy and taut […]
readThe wonderful energy, honed focused and acid drive of 2009 Hunter Valley is something to behold, and it looks set to propel one of the chardonnays of the vintage into the ranks of the longest-lived Vat 47s yet. Gunflinty and leesy, its taut mineral structure, impeccable fruit purity and understated oak make for consummate balance […]
readWith no clue to the disgorgement date or base vintage on the bottle, it’s impossible to say whether the latest shipment of Pierre Péters is the same base wine as it was last year, but the immaculately pristine and beach-fresh bottles that we showcased around the country at the Negociants Working With Wine masterclasses suggest […]
readHow can a wine possess such monumental concentration and impact of flavour at fifteen percent alcohol, and yet such poise and finesse, with no suggestion of heat or stewy fruit? Simple. Let the grapes dry and shrivel after they’re picked rather than before! This is the Italian Amarone method, producing concentration while retaining acidity and […]
readThe Barossa’s hot, low-lying western fringe is the subject of no shortage of controversy, but it can certainly deliver a punch when its vines grow up, as they clearly have here. This brand new Dan Murphy’s exclusive puts on quite a show of generous depth and persistence in its flavours of sweet black plums, spicy […]
readWater Wheel has achieved cult status for producing deep, classical Central Victorian shiraz of outstanding value for money, and this is one of its most balanced releases of the modern era. Black plum and blackberry fruit mesh with dark chocolate and firm, drying tannins, leaving the finish savoury and true to its region. Good value […]
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