Need a smart red for the masses this silly season? Properly made, mature vine Langhorne Creek shiraz has no right to be sold off at cleanskin prices, so get in fast. Impressive, plush fruit depth and presence of black plums and berries, with supportive dark choc oak. Perfect for Christmas with the in-laws. Ho, ho, […]
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Geographe produces a finer and more restrained chardonnay than its illustrious neighbour, Margaret River, making this pretty little almost unoaked thing a delightful summertime quaffer. Pristine lemon blossom, grapefruit, white peach and even some chalky minerality. $13.50 at United Cellars.
readO’Leary Walker rieslings are the bargains of the Clare, especially when they nail a vintage as confidently as they did this year. The cool season’s kaffir lime, granny smith and lemon zest meets the approachable softness of guava and peach. $17 at Dan’s.
readAlbariño is the perky little Spanish white we thought we grew here, but didn’t. Here’s the real thing, and it thrashes the more expensive contenders that tend to be too old and under cork. Young, fresh and screw capped, it’s soft and spicy, with apple and pear fruit finishing crunchy and pure. $18 at Sunshine […]
readLarry Cherubino’s wizardry for the masses – the textural finesse of the master for just $18 at Dan’s. An impressively medium-bodied style, clocking in at under 14% on the Richter scale, yet with sumptuous richness of dark plum, black cherry, black pepper and mixed spice.
readGorgeous composition and seamless integration of finely-woven layers of hazelnut cream, coffee, preserved lemon, grapefruit zest, golden delicious apples, guava and almost ripe passionfruit. For such a maelstrom of complexity, it pulls into a tight finish of finely poised minerality and pristine line and persistence. Wow. $31 at Raffles Liquor Merchants.
readI poured this wine at a gig for 120 dentists last night and it was the wine of the night, outclassing more expensive Burgundies, Champagne, Chablis and Sancerre. The rule of buying the lesser cuvées of the greatest makers is sage advice indeed. Floral, spicy, savoury and finely textured.
readStripped down to racing spec, this is a more classic M3 with less oak under the bonnet, less fat ripeness on the back end and more streamlined grapefruit zest and white peach. It’s set to hit the streets next week, so get in quick because it’s going very, very fast. $33 at WineStar, $36 at […]
readGrosset’s first botrytis in more than a decade is a gloriously unctuous wine with powerful botrytis presence and fleshy, viscous fruit. Stonefruits, honey, cloves and baked apples are balanced by the zesty kaffir lime of this cool season. It’s intensely sweet but has the acid carry to hold it. $43 at WineStar
readThe great chardonnays of Tassie’s east are built on the definition of taut, cool, southerly acidity, here providing direction and drive to fleshy white peach, grapefruit and fig concentration. A wine of poise, line and lingering texture.
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