High in the Upper Yarra, Gembrook maintains its lofty position among Australia’s finest sauvignons, if not proven in its detailed complexity on release, then certainly in its enduring energy to outlive virtually all others. The secret is a tightly strung backbone of honed acidity, providing linearity and finesse to its layered complexity of gooseberry pie, […]
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I am hopelessly besotted with the classic, fine-strung purity that so many Clare rieslings have achieved in 2011, and here is another! A wine of great fruit concentration and structure, built around a core of intense lemon and lime zest, with notes of red apple and quince. It builds incrementally in the mouth, to great […]
readThere are very few wines with a street price under $10 for which I can hand-on-heart recommend any vintage in the past five years. YSV is a serious blend that captures the spicy allure of peppery shiraz in all of its juicy stewed rhubarb and satsuma plum glory. Viognier adds the faintest lift of violet […]
readThe more 2011 Clare rieslings I assess, the more convinced I am of the fallacy of writing off vintages on weather reports. Here’s another stunner from a less familiar name. Beautifully textural, chalky minerality is the signature of the epicentre of Watervale, here accented with pear, granny smith apple, lime and even a hint of […]
readTuned for summer quaffing, the cool 2011 Clare vintage has made for a particularly elegant Annie, and she’s all the more adorable for it! Pomegranate, raspberry and watermelon are all here, with a tangy pink grapefruit finish. Fine-grained texture and subtle fruit sweetness make for a very fresh, vibrant blend of malbec, mourvèdre and sangiovese. […]
readI’ve never understood Geelong riesling. Or, perhaps I should say I’ve never understood it made in the traditional Australian way. Along comes an attempt made like a chardonnay, from old vines in a cold vintage, fermented by wild yeast on full solids, partly in old barrels, kept on lees for six months and bottled with […]
readMasters of chardonnay and riesling from the west, it was only a matter of time before Howard Park nailed sauvignon. Its moment in the sun came in 2011, and the dry, warm season through Mount Barker and Margaret River gave birth to a wine of poise, balance and style. Partial barrel fermentation adds notes of […]
readGrignoWhatto? Never mind, I’d never heard of the variety, either. The point here is that one of the great, five-generation estates of Piedmont has poured its expertise into a fruit-focused, oak-free, summer lunchtime red. From the hills near Rosignano Monferrato, this is a savoury and textural wine of dried thyme, olive and dried rose petal […]
readThe embodiment of the restraint and allure of Tassie pinot, A bouquet of perfumed rose petals, violets, red cherry liqueur, brambles and dark chocolate introduces a precise palate of red cherry definition, finely textured tannins and elegant persistence. $30 at MyCellars and Dan’s. It will only get better in time.
readAn outstanding and long-lived ILR, contrasting the pure freshness of kaffir lime and lemon with the richness of roast nuts and butter. The youthful drive of a linear acid profile holds forth, carrying into a long finish of integration and poise, promising a tremendous future. $38 at Dan’s.
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