A new star has ascended in the West. Cliff Royle has glowed for every one of the 14 vintages he’s been in Margaret River but his latest creation is about to draw the attention of a supernova. It’s proof that MR chard doesn’t need high alcohol, rich fruit, malolactic fermentation or buckets of new oak […]
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A subregional focus makes perfect sense in Margaret River, and Cliff Royle has embraced it in a new Sub Regional Series that’s about to create quite a stir. In the far south, the cool Karridale subregion produces enticing granny smith apple, gooseberry, nashi pear and grapefruit flavours at restrained alcohol levels. Wild ferment and old […]
readA wine can communicate nothing more profound than the personality of its soil and the very finest Adelaide Hills shiraz always has a nuance that reminds me of rain on granite. Here it melds seamlessly with pepper, anise, sour plums and fine-ground, textural tannins. $27.50 at simplywines.net.au.
readYering’s famous SV is about to get an exciting facelift (and price hike) so don’t miss the last chance to partake of its opulent liquorice, sarsaparilla, cola and spice joy while it’s still up for grabs for $20 (WineStar). Great fruit presence lingers amid finely structured tannins on a long finish. $21 at Dan’s.
readOn exposed granite, in direct line of sight of Mount Kosciuszko, it’s no wonder this riesling retains bonechilling acidity of champagne proportions. Just as well it’s perfectly balanced by medium sweetness, delightfully poised lemon and lime blossom and crabapple fruit. Stunning.
readIt’s springtime, cue the rosé! What a joy to find a Rhôney Rosé that’s still clean, fresh and frisky a year after it was deported! Grenache, shiraz and cinsault unite in a pale-coloured and savoury-styled wine with watermelon and guava fruit and a lovely, dry, textural finish that lingers on and on.
readThe Eight Uncles have rocked up, but don’t expect a casual affair because they mean serious business. The new vintage is loaded with Barossa joy: firm dark plums, blackberries, blueberries, dark chocolate oak and finely textured tannins. Let it chill out for at least a year or two. $15 at 1st Choice.
readSkilly’s sustainably farmed high altitude vineyard is one of my favourite places in the Clare. This wine captures both its generosity and its definition in its violets, blueberries, black pastilles, dark choc and liquorice. Fine, textural tannins make it appealing from the outset. $25 at Dan’s.
readIf Sandro Moselle were a sculptor he would be Michelangelo. As a winemaker on the Mornington Peninsula, he is an intricate craftsman who hones his skill with each vintage. The detail he has worked into this wine makes it one of the most complex on the shelves and yet it pulls into an impeccably sculpted […]
readThe cool 2011 vintage has blessed the Kirks with some of their finest riesling fruit yet. Precise, pretty, and long-lived, with a pink lady apple, lemon blossom and fresh lime air and a fine-boned, structured, taut palate of soft, graphite-like minerality. $25 at Winestar and www.clonakilla.com.au, $28 at Dan’s.
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