Just when I thought the greatest champagne vintage of my lifetime was all over, one of the best bargain vintage wines of all appeared in the Dan’s catalogue at $75 this week. Be careful – there are plenty of lesser vintages on Dan’s shelves at the moment, but 96 has the most power and structure […]
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Calvert is Central Otago’s true grand cru vineyard, its fruit making the finest pinots of three different makers. Pyramid Valley is the wildest of all, loaded with exotic cherries, black plums, cinnamon, vanilla, spice, dried flowers, sarsaparilla and subtle chocolate. Fine, soft, silky, lingering, monumental.
readOne of the most pristine riesling bouquets I have ever encountered. The most delicate lemon and lime blossoms, white lilies and green apples don’t do it justice. Pure, focused palate of mineral definition; textural presence on the back provides body; lime finish of epic persistence. Exact Polish Hill.
readClonakilla genius for the masses, this year cooler and more pepper-edged than ever. It’s chiselled, angular and honed, with mineral granite nuances, generous layers of edgy pepper and crunchy blackberries. Given time, it will unravel into something profound. $37 at WineStar, $38 at Dan’s and $35 at www.clonakilla.com.au.
readThe holy grail of winemaking is to portray site above variety, season and maker. By this standard, this is one of the finest Adelaide Hills shirazes of the modern era. Resonating with this remarkable vineyard, expressing its moods with unprecedented clarity in mineral tannins and classic Adelaide Hills hints of rain on granite. Great concentration, […]
readThis is the finest sub-$40 chardonnay I have ever tasted. Mr Chardonnay, Dave Bicknell, has conjured new levels of purity, definition and focus of grapefruit, lemon and white peach, flowing into a very long finish that glistens with minerality and taut acid tension. Underlying nuances of complexing charcuterie and fine almond French oak never distract […]
readSome Clare rieslings have suffered this year but here’s proof that generalisations are pointless. A classic Grosset without one molecule out of place, singing with a fragrance of white flowers and citrus blossom. It’s poised, pure and lively, lingering with mineral structure and sensational line and length.
readBest ever! OK, so the 2010 was the first, but I adore it and the 2011 is even more pristine, pure and immaculate. Subtle, impeccably gauged sweetness and delightful, lingering minerality. An intricately crafted wine that should come with a warning: once you start it’s impossible to put down your glass.
readThe cool 2011 season has made for a generous and rich expression of this legendary, centuries-old vineyard, revived exactly 50 years ago. Red apple, kaffir lime zest, nutmeg, lemon juice and that signature minerality of this site. No complaints about an earlier drinking season, especially at $14 at Dan’s.
readBeautiful in colour (pale salmon), in perfume and in texture, laced with poached pears, wild honey and guava on a beautifully textured lemon zest palate. Exactingly crafted and amibidextrous in its food-partnering skills.
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