And the Spanish hits just keep on rolling! How do they do it?! 30 yo vines high in Rioja Alavesa, new American and French oak; my goodness, what wonders can be had under $20! Elegant, subtle, food-friendly, layered with red cherries, cherry kernel, vanilla, textural tannins and lovely sour acidity.
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For the most exquisite of celebrations, Pol vintage is your number. I splashed a magnum after the baptism of our Huon Timothy on Sunday and the room of sixty family and friends was spellbound! This is no wild party fizz, rather a tightly honed champagne of exacting precision and fine-strung tension.
readEvery monarch needs a French chateau and 2000 year old vineyard site! There’s a nod to Burgundy in the violet and exotic spice overlay of this northern Rhone grenache, but its incredible concentration, layers of white pepper and textural tannins speak definitively of grenache. $80 at Vintage Cellars.
readPop a bottle of Pol and drink like royalty while you’re reclining in splendour to take in the grand spectacle tonight! Brut Réserve is quintessential Pol, pristine, clean, balanced, tight, laced with fresh lemon and almond notes and refreshingly restrained sweetness. $55 at Kemeny’s and Dan Murphy’s.
readAlexander the Great is heir to the throne of Hunter shiraz, with no fear of the grave(yard). A wine of beautifully fine, chalky tannins, immaculately honed texture, refreshingly low alcohol and vibrant acid profile, it lingers with blueberries, olives, sarsaparilla, nutmeg, pitch and graphite. Long live the king!
readHe’s no saint but King George has certainly arrived in a cavalcade of royal splendour! Set for a very long reign indeed, a looming wall of firm, fine tannins will take a trebuchet to penetrate, revealing a kingdom of deep blackcurrant fruit, coffee and tobacco. $40 at WineStar, Kemeny’s and Dan Murphy’s.
readIn the world of Aussie merlot, you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince. With Wine Taste, I deal with the frogs and leave you with Big Willy! Vibrant blackberries and mulberries meet nuances of tobacco, lingering with finely supple tannins and tangy red cherry acidity.
readWith fairytale purity of black fruits, mixed spice and dark chocolate oak, this is a Clare shiraz of restraint and concentration. Vibrant, approachable and low in alcohol, it’s blessed with textural finesse, persistence, stamina and a happily-ever-after finish.
readMore dashing that Catherine Middleton on a catwalk in a see-through dress, Peglidis has ascended to a position among the most dazzling rieslings of the vintage. Deep-set minerality and tremendous structure and driving persistence speak with articulacy and clarity of this electrifying vineyard.
readPrince Phillip is your companion for distinguished dining. A chardonnay of intellect, restraint and texture, with a lees- and solids-derived complexity to its finely poised grapefruit. Subtle vanilla and almond notes thanks to seamlessly integrated French oak. $27 at Dan Murphy’s.
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