A release I always look forward to. Wes Pearson always produces great Grenache - this one is no different. The fruit source is the same as 2020 but he's moved away from his uber-cool street art labels to these very attractive labels by artist Adam Harriden.
A ripping Chardonnay for 15 bucks. Top value! Bargain material indeed. I'd be more than happy to indulge in a glass or two.
I like this Chardonnay from NSW's Orange region by little-known producer Lemon Villa. The wines are made by Duncan Cook. No image supplied.
Orange is a region that I feel produces some very impressive Sauvignon Blanc. It must be the cool climate? This release from Quilty & Gransden is weighty and not as clean and crisp as you may expect.
One of those times when the corkscrew slips through like a hot knife in butter. Yikes! Maybe I just had a bad cork or maybe there might be others the same. Who knows but that's the gamble with a bit of bark in a wine bottle. Thank goodness the wine was not impacted but I suspect it may impede the longevity of bottle aging.
A blend of McLaren Vale and Coonawarra (73/27), there is some heft about this Cabernet Sauvignon.
Brightness, freshness, happiness all in one. What a fabulously refreshing wine.
As with the 2019, this is not a joyous and fresh style but a more serious, considered type of Riesling. For a 2018, it seems a little further developed than I would have expected.
Lemon Villa is from some of Australia's coolest and highest vineyards - so the back label tells me. These wines are made by Duncan Cook of Cook's Lot fame.
Gruner Veltliner is a variety rarely seen on this tasting bench. Mind you, there is not a lot of it around in Australia but Hahndorf Hill in the Adelaide Hills has made this variety their hero. And damn, aren't they shaking the cage by producing some fascinating examples. This White Mischief is said to be their New World style of Gruner where the emphasis is on expressing the primary fruits. Strap yourself in!
Furrowed brow, game face on. This is a pleaser that wants to impress. A blend of Grenache, Mataro and a dollop of Shiraz for good measure.
There's no denying the refreshment this Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend delivers. Clean, cool and crisp, this is ready to play a support role for your next weekend outing in the sun.
Cool climates deliver green apple goodness that can be seen in Riesling from such districts and this Pizzini release exemplifies that once again. What a fabulous drink. Oh, and have I mentioned how much I love these new labels? Well played team Pizzini for delivering a fresh new look.
A lime-a-thon if that is at all possible. Incredibly refreshing, scrap the post-mowing beer this summer and reach for a Riesling like this.
A Chardonnay displaying some generosity. A soothing type that knocks on the old school door.
Only two Craggy Range wines have graced these pages over the years. I spied this on the shelf when in search of beer at an independent retailer on the Gold Coast. For $44 I just had to have a looksy. And I'm pleased I did. What a superb Pinot Noir from New Zealand's Martinborough region!
Rockburn's entry-level label is Devil's Staircase. Here we have a Pinot Gris from Central Otago.
Of the two Burton and McMahon Chardonnays, I preferred this D'Aloisio's Vineyard. I just loved the length. It just purrs.
A collaboration between Gundog Estate's Matt Burton and Seville Estate's Dylan McMahon, there are four wines in the range. Two each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - all from Yarra Valley sites.
The glory of the Barossa vintage 2021 continues. This time it continues upstairs in the cooler Eden Valley. What a gem this is. If you're a Viognier fan, dial this up on your radar - it doesn't miss a beat.
A very clever McLaren Vale Shiraz from Shottesbrook. Some more time in bottle will help as is evidenced by the 2016 which is looking a treat. I had the luxury of tasting this over a couple of days. And well, I really bloody like it. There's a charm to its early demonstration of bravado.
Only produced in outstanding years, The Proprietor is a tribute to Shottesbrooke's history. A blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec, it sees time in French and American oak.
Today is an exciting day... After busily working away for the last few months, today is International Grenache Day and Brett Hayes and I launch the pre-release sales for our new book Grenache - Barossa Grown!!
If you love Grenache, you need this book.
If you don't know what Grenache is, you need this book.
If you know someone who loves wine, get them a book for Christmas.
Alternatively, just get this book!
This is the DJ pumping the beats and you are the dancer busting the moves. Such a vibrant and energetic wine, juicy fruit bursts from the glass and textural feels seduce.
Grenache glory on high. What a beauty! Elegance and precision without pretentiousness.
Good Grenache. Really good! With the help of some Mataro and Shiraz (50/30/20), this is a wonderfully balanced wine and then some.
Oh, this is flying. Condor style. Barely making an effort and making maximum ground. It's graceful and considered. Boom!
Quite brutish and muscular, a Cabernet Franc that is bigger than I imagined to be honest.
This is such a fresh and enticing wine with refreshment oozing from its veins. I'm picturing sitting by the river with some seafood and absorbing the gentle afternoon breeze. Divine.
A wonderful textural appeal is the feature of this ever-impressive Vermentino from Golden Grove Estate.
The famous Yalumba The Menzies Coonawarra Cabernet. Power with a veil of grace. It's dense and brooding and perched atop muscular shoulders.
Primitivo and Montepulciano come together delivering a pretty and uplifting wine.
Gee, I love these new Pizzini labels. They just open the door to a new legion of fans. This Nebbiolo will do the same given its ready-to-drink now persona - something Nebbiolo of old never dreamt of.
Soft and lacy to start and highlighted by dark fruits and plums, but there is some oak here to negotiate.
A wonderfully soft wine to throw in a glass and relax. Wines like this elevate a vast array of cuisines.
