Old meets new in this signature Margaret River cabernet merlot of outstanding value for money. There is a modern depth to its crunchy black- and redcurrant fruit, within a classically unforced, savoury, medium-bodied guise, impeccably structured with graphite-fine tannins and supported by tangy acidity and notes of high cocoa dark chocolate. Give it time. $22 […]
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Primo has been working with botrytis since 1981 but this is the first vintage since 2008 and, boy, has it been worth the wait: this is one of the best La Magias yet. Spiced up with 15% Coonawarra traminer, it retains riesling’s integrity amidst great complexity of kaffir lime, honey, lime marmalade, mixed spice and […]
readA new line for Schwarz, with old-fashioned techniques like hand picked, wild fermentation and a portion of whole bunches (22%) delivering a modern Barossa style – in all the very best ways. It captures the character of shiraz from Stonewell, Moppa and Eden Valley in a beautifully expressive style of black plum, black cherry, liquorice […]
readA magnificent pinot gris, but more than that, a showpiece for both immaculate fruit in a great vintage and exceedingly skilful winemaking. Wild fermented and aged on lees in old French barrels, it’s delightfully reductive, filled with precise gunpowder and struck flint notes against a backdrop of crunchy pear and apple. A compact core of […]
readLarry Cherubino’s 2012 was magnificent, and here’s proof it was no fluke, the first serious competition in the West for Frankland Estate’s iconic Isolation Ridge. Breathtaking fragrance of the most pure and delicate lemon blossom flows undeviating from start to finish, gently supported by desperately pure kaffir lime zest, granny smith apple, fennel and lemon […]
read2012 L’ami Sage is one of the greats from Paradigm Hill and Les Cinq is a step up in fragrant and exotic rose hip aromas and layers of exotic spice. The palate is built around a core of tangy morello cherries of bright, vibrant energy and long-lingering persistence. Tannins are silky, fine and supple, with […]
readA Kevin John of considerable, grand-cru-like intensity, holding impeccable poise in its stride, contrasting accentuated grapefruit zest and succulent, ripe white peach fruit with a taut line of well-honed acidity. This is a vintage of texture, fullness and presence, with fruit and oak uniting seamlessly to propel each other forward with considerable volume. This may […]
readAnother great year in the legendary lineage of Diana Madeline. This is a release of grand persistence and monumental longevity; classic, elegant, graceful and precise. From the outset, it has a more structural and savoury personality, honed, determined, and defined by impeccable, finely textured tannins. It opens into signature hallmarks of blackcurrant, cassis, cedar and […]
readFelton reports that it’s easier to sell a dry than a sweet riesling in New Zealand, though this is little more than one-third the production volume of its sweeter “Bannockburn” label. The ripe generosity of 2013 is expressed in grapefruit and orange notes, contrasting pretty lemon blossom, tight acid profile and finely textured, mineral structure. […]
readThis label represents more than two-thirds of Felton’s riesling production and 2013 is a particularly generous edition. Layers of white peach, mandarin peel and ginger presence are streamlined by pretty lemon blossom aromatics and hints of fennel and granny smith apple. Beautifully fine acidity and mineral structure are intricately balanced by well-gauged sweetness (56g/L). $30 […]
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