Ambonnay meets Tasmania! It’s a tightrope act to showcase the body and intensity of Australian pinot noir in sparkling rosé, while maintaining unerring finesse. Holm oak has pulled it off with particular refinement, showcasing the linear backbone of Tasmanian acidity, with all of the complexity that comes with barrel-fermented pinot: Christmas spice, fruit mince pie, […]
readEdition 51
If there is a benchmark for just what late-disgorged Australian sparkling can be, this is it. Disgorged in June 2011 after a monumental fifteen years on lees (no standard release champagne can claim this), complexity and richness go without saying, but (and this is a big but, for this is rarely ever achieved outside champagne) […]
readO’Leary’s portfolio is the bargain benchmark of the Clare but its flagship sets the standard for rock-solid consistency at the top end like no other. This is no showstopper, making its statement not by impact and power, ripeness, structure or oak, but by remarkable poise, vibrancy and complexity. Its century-old vines speak in deep tones […]
readIgnore the name, this is the ultimate Aussie wine, packed with all the rich, authentic tastes of Langhorne Creek, eucalypt included! A core of sweet, ripe blackcurrant fruit and mint is beautifully offset by dark chocolate oak and carried long into the finish by firm, fine tannins. It’s the perfect BBQ quaffer and will live […]
readThis is not only the finest Y Series Viognier ever made, it is the greatest viognier with a street price under $10 that I have tasted from anywhere in the world. Ever. Is this thanks to a freak cool season or to Yalumba’s viognier genius permeating ever lower in its portfolio with each passing vintage? […]
readShort of it’s time-stopping flagship Claire (read on!), this is O’Leary’s top Clare shiraz. It’s a perennial bargain, perpetually discounted below $20 ($18 at WineStar and Dan’s this week). This is a particularly flattering vintage, showcasing the glossy blueberries and blackberries of Clare with a little under one-third McLaren Vale shiraz to rev it up. […]
readThis is the kind of wine that turns white wine fanatics to the dark side. Its bright crimson hue and enticing flavours of redskins and raspberries have them begging for more, while a dried herb overtone and fine tannin structure keep the seasoned drinkers happy. From a single estate vineyard at Oakbank, made like proper […]
readEvery winemaking trick in the sauvignon book has been thrown at this wine, and a few more besides. Wild fermented on its skins in French oak (and some Italian Acacia, too), long ageing on lees and partial malolactic fermentation. If you’re still with me, it’s for you! Cool season acidity meets a profoundly textural and […]
readFrom two of the oldest vineyards in the volcanic outcrop of Great Southern’s Porongurups, this is one of Howard Park’s most exciting rieslings yet. Tapping deep into this terroir, these vines extract fine, chalky minerality, restrained kaffir lime and lemon fruit while maintaining exact line and persistent length. $23 at Templestowe.
readAnother definitive red to raise the profile of any Australia Day BBQ! An impressively balanced vintage for Directors’ Cut, parading the black plum and blackberry glossiness of Langhorne with the savoury intrigue of black olives and the finely structured tannin support of new French oak. The result is seamless and intense, with considerable fruit energy […]
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