Gorgeous 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.
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I 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.
readFar too young to be showing its face just yet, this gloriously medium-bodied shiraz is no showstopper, but give it a decade, stand back and watch it emerge! The folds of its finely structured, firmly poised tannins hold many secrets of blackberry, blueberry, black pepper and dark chocolate. $26 at Dan’s.
readThe precision of Larry Cherubino’s craft is well celebrated but never before has it reached such profound heights of razor-cut linearity, mind-blowing purity or dateline-traversing persistence. Immaculate kaffir lime, granny smith and green pepper. A new stratosphere has been transcended for the longevity of Great Southern riesling. $33 at Australian Wine Centre.
readEpic complexity of hazelnut cream, raw coffee beans, grapefruit and lime zest but the real magic begins when this vast maelstrom pulls into a vortex of whipcracking lime juice, boring deep into the finish and lingering straight and powerful. Length and concentration are off the charts but the calm in the midst of the storm […]
readStrong representations of merlot and cabernet franc emphasise the fragrance of violets and red berries and a velvety, finely textured tannin structure. A primary, refined and backward style with merlot’s roundness to the finish. $40 at Nick’s and Wine House.
readHow do they do this for $10 (Vintage Cellars and Dan’s)? “Old McLaren Vale bush vines, basket pressed and matured in barrels for twelve months” reads like a recipe for a much more expensive proposition. Tastes like it, too, brimming with juicy berry fruits, red liquorice, mixed spice and even rose petal perfume.
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