The best rows from the oldest blocks on Xanadu’s Wallcliffe property have created a wine that embodies the persona of the most enduring cabernets in exhibiting impeccable balance and alluring refinement even in their extreme youth. This is benchmark Margaret River cabernet sauvignon of textbook character and refined grace, delivering enticing complexity and elegant allure. […]
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In the impressive 2012 season, the highest point of the Enterprise Vineyard produced what Knappstein considers to be the purist expression of this historic Clare Valley vineyard. This single block release is a categorical step up from the standard Enterprise, more coiled and more restrained, without the overt mint and eucalypt characters, and with greater […]
readVarietal integrity and texture under $10. Yes, please! Pear and peach fruit expresses the character of grigio in a honeyed style that gains texture from 100% wild fermentation. A touch of residual sweetness sits comfortably on a fruit-focused finish. Great value at $7 at OurCellar.
readIf you love sauvignon and only have $10 to spend, this is still the best choice on the shelves. Captured and the exact moment of ripeness when tangy citrus meets cut grass and guava, this is a well balanced bargain sauvignon that expresses the definition and crunch of a cool January. A touch of phenolic […]
readA fun, party-ready, off-dry riesling with a light fizz. Hailing from Victoria’s cool Alpine Valleys, it tastes of baked apple, lime zest and honey. Clean, fruity and appealing, it’s well made and priced right. Give it a very stern chill and drink it like moscato. Best price direct.
readFor the price, there’s an awful lot packed into this wine. Bucket loads of lees age (based on the 2010 vintage) and 5% oak maturation make for silkiness and complexity, but the focus remains resolutely on primary citrus, apple and pear fruit. The result equates to heights of character, texture and appeal rarely found at […]
readThere’s flesh here, both in succulent white nectarine fruit and in suggestions of the honeyed complexity of a couple of years of maturity, contrasting neatly with the crunch and zest of fresh citrus fruit. It’s a primary, young and fruity style that finishes more sophisticated than one might expect for this price, with lingering acid […]
readI defy you to find a finer rosé under $19. Its full, bright salmon hue does little to betray its maturity. Nor, for that matter, does its pretty expression of musk, wild strawberry, guava and watermelon. Only its silky complexity and creamy bead point to its considerable age (2010 base vintage). Acid line is lively […]
readOne of Australia’s most consistent and complete chardonnays under $20, Hoddles Creek is a celebration of the lemon juice tension and focus and the white peach body of the Upper Yarra, impeccably framed in all the texture and complexity of barrel fermentation. $20 at WineStar, My Cellars, United Cellars and others.
readA February harvest in the wake of a heatwave makes for a more generous and early drinking style. A pretty nose spans fragrant lemon blossom, zesty lime zest, orange pulp and the generous, exotic allure of guava. The palate is succulent and approachable, with generous fruit presence evenly balanced by soft acidity, making for an […]
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