The picture-perfect season has put forward one of the longest-lived Vasse Felix cabernets to date. This is a textbook cabernet of exacting definition and precision. The bouquet has a gorgeous lift of violet petals while the palate carries all the hallmarks of blackcurrants, high cocoa dark chocolate and classic, Margaret River graphite-fine tannins. Impeccably ripe, […]
readArticles
2009 presented more than its share of challenges across Victoria, but high in the Macedon Ranges, it seems Curly Flat escaped unscathed. This is a pinot of restrained elegance, with a perfumed lift of rose hip and a core of bright red cherries. There are notes of brambles and a touch of French oak wood […]
readI opened this alongside a much more famous Margaret River chardonnay, and this was the unanimous favourite of the room. It’s holding a pale straw green hue and pristine concentration of grapefruit and white peach. Subtle cashew nut French oak and lees complexity contribute texture and length without detracting from a vibrant citrus profile. Outstanding […]
readPio Cesare’s classic, restrained and long-lived Barbaresco outclassed its Barolo in 2006. Imported by Dan Murphy’s, they’re both now $40 cheaper than they were last year. Barbaresco is nebbiolo, and this wine captures its lifted allure of dried rose petals and its depth of black cherry, pitch, anise and high cocoa dark chocolate flavours. Nebbiolo’s […]
readSalon is a fabled name in champagne circles, and ranks in the top four houses in all of champagne. It makes but one cuvée and Australia’s entire allocation of the 1999 was sold wholesale in just 31 days. This warm vintage makes for a Salon of immediacy and accessibility, within Salon’s classic style of honed […]
readGreat cabernet merlot should have both a fragrant violet perfume and a deep core of crunchy blackcurrant fruit, but it’s rare to find such impressive fruit definition at the magical sub-$15 price. There are notes of blueberries and overtones of capsicum and the classic leaf and mint of Clare. Fine, supple tannins make it alluring […]
readMatthew Jukes, wine writer and author, was last night named ‘Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK’ at the Australia Day Foundation Dinner at Australia House.
readAmbonnay meets Tasmania! It’s a tightrope act to showcase the body and intensity of Australian pinot noir in sparkling rosé, while maintaining unerring finesse. Holm oak has pulled it off with particular refinement, showcasing the linear backbone of Tasmanian acidity, with all of the complexity that comes with barrel-fermented pinot: Christmas spice, fruit mince pie, […]
readIf there is a benchmark for just what late-disgorged Australian sparkling can be, this is it. Disgorged in June 2011 after a monumental fifteen years on lees (no standard release champagne can claim this), complexity and richness go without saying, but (and this is a big but, for this is rarely ever achieved outside champagne) […]
readO’Leary’s portfolio is the bargain benchmark of the Clare but its flagship sets the standard for rock-solid consistency at the top end like no other. This is no showstopper, making its statement not by impact and power, ripeness, structure or oak, but by remarkable poise, vibrancy and complexity. Its century-old vines speak in deep tones […]
read