Surrounded by some of Heathcote’s most famous vineyards, this site was in barrel before any of them were even harvested, giving this wine an elegance and a detailed expression of the black fruits, pepper, anise, sarsaparilla, acid profile and finely honed tannin structure of the region. $41 at Dan’s.
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Who would have imagined that one of Barolo’s most legendary red wine masters could craft Arneis of such textbook precision? Subtle grapefruit, quince and guava ride on a textural, mineral palate, enhanced through ageing on lees, without any hint of phenolic heaviness, bitterness or hardness.
readFrom one of Marlborough’s most consistently outstanding pinot producers, this wine balances beautifully fragrant red cherry fruit with well-gauged French oak. It’s primary, perfumed and structured and only needs time for fruit and wood to harmonise. $37 at Dan’s.
readThe 2008 vintage was a washout for Hunter reds, so the 2009s have landed a year earlier to plug the gap, but don’t hurry with this one because it needs a decade for its black plum, leather and spice to uncoil. Its firm, poised, textural tannins set it off to be one of the longer-lived […]
readA blend of nebbiolo and friends from a vintage that produced a refined acid profile in Piedmont. Fresh, pure and restrained, with a bouquet of rose hip and a palate of lingering pomegranate, redcurrants and a hint of tomato skin. Mouthfilling texture and minerality elevate it to a higher plane.
readI was the first outside the McWilliams crew to taste this cracking new expression of taut, cool, southern Tasmanian riesling. Beautifully crafted, with mixed spice complexity lingering through baked apple and quince fruit. It’s due to land any day now, and at this price, you’d better be quick.
readTight, taut and truly grigio, this is a nervy style defined by the cool heights of the King Valley. With a cut of fresh lemon, a whiff of lemon blossom and a note of flint, it’s got the searing structure to stand in for champagne as an aperitif, or to wait in the cellar to […]
readA dose of cool Upper Yarra fruit provides a hit of crisp grapefruit and a softly mineral backbone for this fresh, fruit-focused chardonnay, nuanced with flavours of white peach and fig. Your entry ticket to an impressive estate.
readThis fruity, fresh little quaffer has flavours of mandarin zest, guava and passionfruit, making it just the thing for lazy poolside afternoons in the sun or a partner for Asian fusion when the gathering is large and the budget is not. $9.50 at Dan’s.
readI once heard a famous critic admit that emotional impact was the only difference between 100 points and 98 points. Not so here. I tasted Clos Saint Hilaire for the first time at the end of my fourth tasting of a hectic day in Champagne. I’d been tasting since 8:30am and it was now 7pm, […]
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