I knock off work like everyone else and I want decent booze to drink” is Adam Mark’s philosophy of winemaking. Can’t argue with the man who crafts one of the most exhilarating shirazes in Victoria! Brooding restraint and latent concentration meets insane exotic spice. You’ll be spellbound.
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Ignore the hoi polloi, finishing a meal with port never went out of fashion in glam circles, so get on board. I discovered Ramos Pinto at the end of a long meal in Champagne. Forget the sweet imitations, this is real port, honed and toned by decades of patience.
readControversy. As the wine world hones in on single vineyards and regions, Hardys takes cross-regional blending to new stratas of the mesosphere. But you’d never guess this was a blend, such is its seamlessly woven texture and refined elegance.
readMy, is Sir Winston dignified and refined these days! The room fell to utter silence when I poured this at my World Wine Discovery on Tuesday night, so transfixing and so pure is this vintage. Its subtlety will transform the mood of your room, too.
readYour lime juice and lily blossom pick-me-up is ready! The bargain white of 2010 is kicking around the shelves at half its true worth. One of Australia’s most historic and famous rieslings at a price that has barely reached adolescence. Such a travesty, but I’m not complaining!
readYou can’t buy a decent red for ten bucks. Oh yeah? This feisty little cabernet ticks all the boxes of perfume, definition, persistence and even – wait for it – a chance to improve for a few years in the cellar. $8 at Dan Murphy’s, and you can’t shake a stick at that.
readRemember what Marlborough savvy used to be like before it came on tap? This is the real thing, zesty, mineral and perky, from one of the mainstays of the industry. It’s only just landing now because it takes this long to make sauvignon properly.
readSaddle up, there’s a long trip ahead. Margaret River is galloping through a string of stupendously stunning vintages and this wine is going to go the distance. Built with Bordeaux structure, the blend is tweaked with a touch of each of the usual suspects. Climb up and hang on tight!
readPinot noir is the epicentre of cool right now and the fashionistas are bathing in it. Stonier’s has stepped straight off the catwalk, drop-dead gorgeous with its sweeping cherry curves and air of rose petal perfume. The ladies will be transfixed and the lads, well…
readAy, caramba! Farewell dried out, oxidised, oaky Rioja. Hola pure, unadulterated fruit! This provocative, unoaked style takes the focus back to the vineyards of just one beautiful little village in Rioja. It’s a brand new day in Spain and you want to be a part of it. No one expects www.thespanishacquisition.com.
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