QWine Reviews - Australian Wine Reviews: October 2020

Friday, 30 October 2020

La Petite Mort Chardonnay 2017

Detail and texture sum up La Petite Mort wines best. Wonderfully well considered wines they are. This Chardonnay is a treasure.

Marsanne has always been a well crafted by winemaker Glen Robert. This release is no different.

Willow Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019

Superb Pinot. Dancy and pretty - just magic.

Skin contact Vermentino, yet if you were unaware of its make up, you'd think it was a clever take on the variety full stop. The brilliance here is in the making.

Selena Estate BFR 2016

A big, robust wine from the Riverland's Selena Estate. An ideal partner for a cold night by the fire or steak on the coals.

Organic Cabernet Sauvignon from the Riverland.

A wonderfully generous Barossa Cabernet throwing its arms out for an embrace.

Willow Creek Vineyard Pinot Gris 2019

A terrific Pinot Gris from the Mornington Peninsula's Willow Creek.

Sparkling Shiraz is SO Australian but the shame is that it is pigeon holed as a Christmas Day drink. Surely we can do better than 1 out of 365? Check out this great value beauty and perhaps your afternoon drinks with friends may change course.

Tropical fruit with the indulgence of a creamy drive which a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc delivers when done well.

La Petite Mort Pinot Gris Qvevri 2019

Pinot Gris like you've never seen it before.

Organic Shiraz from the Riverland.

Yangarra Estate Old Vine Grenache 2019

Precise. Svelte. Gorgeous Grenache.

A bustling Shiraz with power and leg speed to cut through the defence. Backline is a collaboration between former Wallabies Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell with 295 being the number of test caps the three have accumulated. Of the three Backline wines sampled, this is easily the best.

Tyrrell's Vat 9 Shiraz 2018

Stunning Hunter. Many of the locals suggest 2018 was one of the best on record and this Shiraz exemplifies that. A beauty!

The kind of Chardonnay that makes you sink to your knees. Gorgeous and then some.

Domaine Houchart Sainte-Victoire 2019

A fab imported Rosé gunning for a sunny day and big smiles.

Here's a little bundle of fun. It's just me, Selena and this Pinot Grigio it would seem. But you can come along too.

Ai Fiori means 'amongst the flowers' in Italian. In time, the aim is for this wine to be a blend of 100% Italian varieties. But as some young vines mature, the blend for now is Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Brachetto.

Sourced from Queensland's first Albariño vineyard, this comes from just down the road and over the ridge from La Petite Mort HQ. It's a wine that screams thirst quenchability.

Tobin Wines Jacob Tempranillo 2019

The Granite Belt doesn't have a flagship variety but Tempranillo has really taken to the district. There are some fabulous expressions of it, and perhaps, this release from Tobins Wines can press claims for the best.

Some great fruit concentration here. Lemon butter too. And that tang.

Gorgeously powdery just the way Nebbiolo should be.

If you like your sparkling pink, make a bee line to this.

Unsung Hero Ansonica 2020

I love different and my eyes lit up when this appeared on my door step. This Ansonica was sourced from the Chalmers vineyard in Mildura, Victoria - those lovely folk are flag bearers for planting emerging varieties. It's the only vineyard in Australia producing this variety, although I'm most happy to be corrected.

Oh I'm loving the Chardonnays coming out of the Yarra of late. They've been impressive for some time but that dial has been cranked up once more. This is a beauty.

A smashing cool climate Cabernet. A ripping release from Canberra's Shaw Vineyard Estate.

Summer time is done easy with wines like this.

A delicate cool climate Shiraz to wrap your arms around.

A beautifully scented Cabernet Merlot blend highlighted by dried red flowers.

Backline Je Fais Cabernet Blend 2018

There's some juicy factor here with a little weight behind it. A bit like a retired footballer one could say. The label is owned by three former Wallabies - Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Sunsets with your loved one gazing into the distance with a breeze blowing on your face. Or just rip in pool side. Damn this is a great slurp.

Three former Wallabies come together to create a wine label made by Ben Riggs.

Clarence Hill Reserve Shiraz 2018

Of the recent Shiraz and Cabernet releases from Nick Haselgrove, this was my preferred.

If you like your Cabernets big (really big), this is your weapon.

A big and rich Shiraz just like the Haselgrove crew like 'em.

An easy drinking Cabernet for $18.

Tobin Wines Max Shiraz Block Two 2019

A terrific example of cool climate Shiraz from the precise and meticulous hands of Adrian Tobin.

Pan fried chorizo and then some. Gloriously meaty. Prosciutto and pancetta too. Give me the meat board and a large glass.

Soul Growers Provident Shiraz 2019

The essence of a rock solid Barossa Shiraz. There's so much to absorb. I see it as a window into the deep ocean of this district's flagship variety. A classic.

Golden straw in the glass, this is an easy lunch time wine. I can see myself sitting back overlooking the a river while tucking into a lavish picnic. But that's me.