An ocean of gris passes by on the hunt for great examples these days, and, oh, the jubilation when a superstar lands! Infused with the cool minerality of 1980s vines high in the hilltops of Lenswood, with a textural depth reinforced by partial barrel fermentation, it’s built on restrained minerality.
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Balnaves’ quartet of 09 cabernets is set for a tremendous future and the cabernet merlot needs (just) a decade to show its stuff. The most perfumed of the set, lifted violet and blackcurrant perfume wafts over a palate of disciplined focus and exceedingly high quality oak carpentry.
readAt $16 at Dan’s, we can all afford to have a bottle of decent tawny open perpetually for late night dark chocolate decadence! There’s a comfortable balance of hazelnut, toast, plum and fig, with well-integrated spirit, subtle oak, nicely gauged sweetness and a lingering high cocoa dark chocolate finish.
readIn concentration, complexity, texture, exotic perfume and sheer exuberant joy, Gulfy performs like a true estate Yarra Valley shiraz, not like a second label that’s perpetually $15 at WineStar and Kemeny’s. The De Bortoli shiraz vintage of the decade has elevated its baby to a majestic place.
readScribbler groupies (hello there!) will immediately recognise that this is a more elegant, structured and restrained rendition of one of the best value reds in the world. It’s more crunchy and vibrant than ever, with cabernet in the lead. Monumentally age-worthy. Patience. $14 at Dan’s, $15 at WineStar.
readSteve Webber and Sarah Fagan splashed around twenty posh bottles of Chianti, Bolgheri and Brunello for inspiration when creating this brand new, rustic blend. The result meets the brief: textured, fine-boned, savoury, unashamedly approachable and yet structured and food-ready.
readHordes of people at my wine courses are rediscovering chardonnay because, in their words, it doesn’t taste like chardonnay. At least not like the flabby abominations that turned them off! With a high proportion of cool, Upper Yarra fruit, this mineral, textured style is converting them back. $20 at 1st.
readMargaret River SBS has come of age, shrugging off her girly giggles and slipping into something much more sophisticated. A touch of barrel work (just a small percentage here) adds texture and seamlessness to tightly restrained grapefruit, lemon and guava flavours. Jaw-dropping. $19 at 1st Choice.
readSweet rieslings are the undiscovered gems of the apple isle. Not any more! This is a versatile dessert wine because it hasn’t been ripened until it turns to jam! This makes it fresher and more tangy than most botrytis styles, full of crunchy apple and zesty citrus fruit, perfect with fruit-based desserts.
readFootloose and oak-free, such feisty expression is a tough find at this price. A grenache syrah cinsault blend from Coteaux du Tricastin (the northernmost appellation of France’s southern Rhône), laced with pepper and spice, crunchy black plums, dark berries, finely textured tannins and tangy acidity.
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