McLaren Vale Scarce Earth spans a wider spectrum of prices than ever this year, but it’s here that things first start to get exciting. Brad Hickey has conjured impressive depth of concentrated plum and blackberry fruit, encased in a balanced structure of solid, firm tannins, finishing with good acid definition. Allow time for oak and […]
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Four-year-old French oak provides plenty of space for expressive, primary fruit integrity of black plums and blueberries to take to the stage, with a backing track of finely textured tannins, subtle dark chocolate oak and well-balanced acidity.
readThis is a McLaren Vale shiraz of potent intensity and powerful fruit, with a particularly dark, impenetrable black hue and vibrant purple rim. A dense slick of liquorice and black fruits of all kinds drive long into a honed finish, toned refreshingly with piquant acidity and firm, finely textured tannins.
readBleasdale has always made one of the best value straight malbecs in the country, and I’d bet real money that this is the same wine under a different label at half the price. A pretty violet and rose petal bouquet is laced with red cherries and berries of all kinds, flowing through a palate of […]
readLindemans Bin 65 has always been one of the best made chardonnays on the bottom shelf, and considering the vintage and the volume, this release is something of a triumph. It melds peach, melon and citrus zest in a soft yet lively style, with a finish defined by fruit integrity and balanced acidity. But wait […]
readThe finest vintage for Mike Press Sauvignon yet? No question. Picked at the perfect instant of ripeness, it captures exuberant and flamboyant fruit reminiscent of lime zest, guava, frangipane and rockmelon. As crunchy and fresh as ever, with impressive length and balance that comes from vines that have now reached their teen years. $8.50 direct.
readHola authentic Spanish character at a teeny price! The high plains of Castilla la Mancha have been pepped up with fifteen percent barrel-matured Rioja tempranillo, making for a rustic style that carries an air of dried flowers, dried herbs and wild strawberries over a palate of finely integrated structure and persistent mulberry and dark chocolate […]
readThey say it takes a great vintage to weed out the poor vineyards and winemakers, but only a tough season can truly define the greats. Crucially, definitively – indeed surprisingly for a vineyard at 500m altitude in a vintage as uncharacteristically cool as 2011 – this cabernet is ripe. Its light to medium purple hue […]
readAt its lofty 500m altitude, Mike Press’ vineyard is cool and high at the best of times, producing shiraz of edgy black pepper personality even in a warm season. In the abnormally cool 2011 vintage this character is compounded to levels unfamiliar even in the Adelaide Hills, creating the most graceful, pretty and elegantly medium-bodied […]
readThis is a ripe and immediate vintage for Mike Press pinot, making it spot on for drinking right away. It’s a fruity style of wild strawberries, ripe raspberries, a hint of brambles and finely textured tannins. 14.8 on the alcohol scale is a big number for this timid grape, but the high altitude acidity of […]
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