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This is the freshest, finest, most oak-restrained, perfumed, exotically spiced and textural wine made under the great name of Katnook today, of any variety, at any price. The great cabernet shiraz blend triumphs again (with a tiny bit of support from petit verdot and tanat)! Buy direct from Katnook.

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This is not just a sauvignon, not just the best sauvignon that the Orange region has ever produced, not just the finest Orange wine of any variety that I have ever tasted. It has absolutely, fundamentally and forever changed my expectations of what this region can achieve. Cool, calm, textural, mineral, restrained, energetic, pure, driven. […]

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This label has been criticised for early picking gone too far. We praise white Burgundy and Chablis when it’s tightly wound, honed, mineral, restrained and age-worthy. Then a local chardonnay talent puts forward their most taut, high-strung and long-lived vintage ever and it gets written off. C’mon Aussie! $24 at Dan’s, $25 at Vintage Cellars.

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Tassie rules the sub-$20 sparkling stakes, and you’ll land Jansz for $19 at Dan Murphy’s or $20 at Vintage Cellars this week. Chardonnay dominance explains lemon zest and fresh lemon juice notes; honey and roast nuts from extended ageing on yeast lees; minerality counters sweetness on the finish.

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Hankering for hearty winter reds? Langhorne Creek to the rescue! Dripping in Langhorne concentration and oozing with juicy blackberries, black jubes and a load of mint, there’s plenty of structure to keep it upright and poised. These 35 year old vines sure deliver. $20 at WineStar and Dan Murphy’s.

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True international gris (think Alsace, France) is built around the grip of “phenolic” structure. Very few Aussie makers get this right, but Tim Adams boldly throws the pressings into the ferment, giving both a subtle pink tint and a delightful texture. $19 at cellar door, $20 at Vintage Cellars.

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If you got out of your Armchair to order the chardonnay last week, you’ll be leaping for joy when you discover that its brand new brother is from thirty-year-old, low-yielding Heathcote vines. Definitively regional, poised, textural and concentrated, the only thing that’s lacking is the price. Could be $38!

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The Turkey has landed and it’s putting on quite a spectacle! Watermelon, pomegranate and strawberry, with a touch of textural acidity and a well-gauged dose of sweetness. Most 2011s need another six months to calm down. Not this one, so catch this bird right away! $18 at WineStar and Dan Murphy’s.

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Label sluts, look away. JC Riesling is for fashionistas of taste. Anyone who can make a riesling from the forward 2010 vintage to look as lively and youthful as this in June 2011 deserves your respect. Anyone who can do it for $6.60 (Dan Murphy’s & 1st Choice this week) deserves superhero status.

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The little hub of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the epicentre of the southern Rhone, Vieux Télégraphe is one of its star estates, and 2008 is the most pure expression I’ve seen. Exotic spice, cherry liqueur and cumquat aromas introduce a brilliantly honed, chiselled and textured palate of deep-set black fruits and glimmers of exotics. $130 at WineStar, […]

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