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Veteran winemaker Tim Adams has the Midas touch with pinot gris; seldom missing a beat and always producing wines that are flavoursome and full of textural interest. Using fruit sourced from two Clare Valley vineyards, this has seen some of the pressings returned to blend to add palate weight. White stone fruit flavours are to the fore (think Nashi pear, Granny Smith apple and white peach flavours) and there are a few grams of residual sugar to counterbalance the crisp natural acidity. This is a wonderfully food-friendly wine that pairs particularly well with lightly-spiced Asian dishes. A great choice for immediate summer enjoyment and something of a bargain when on special. $20. www.timadamswines.com.au.
The wonderfully atmospheric Sevenhill Cellars in the Clare Valley are one of the classic Australian wine venues that should be on the "to do" list of any wine lover visiting the region. The Jesuits have been making wine here since 1851 but have moved with the times. Today the wines are made by a woman winemaker, Liz Heidenreich. This is a terrific blend of four grapes; cabernet sauvignon, malbec, cabernet franc and merlot from a vintage regarded as arguably the best of the decade in the Clare. It is an intense and powerful wine, weighing in at 15% alcohol, but there is also poise alongside the power. $40. www.sevenhill.com.au.
If you enjoy your pinot noir young, fresh, juicy and slurpable then you'll almost certainly enjoy this brambly and untamed new release from talented New Zealand winemaker Paddy Borthwick, who is based at Gladstone in the Wairarapa. This is fruit-driven and designed for immediate enjoyment - and I doubt you'll find a better wine in the same style in this price bracket. It is imported into Australia by Single Vineyard Cellars and has a recommended retail price of $25. With its bright, lively red and black fruit flavours (think sweet cranberries) and silky soft finish that makes it an absolute steal.
I tried a dozen or so wines of different power and weight as a match for veal cutlets and mushroom-infused pasta but nothing came close to being as good a partner as this humble blend from the Rymill family in Coonawarra. A melange of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc that is designed to be particularly food friendly and versatile, it lived up to its role admirably. There is no great complexity here; but there is great drinkability, which is almost certainly what you are looking for at the price point. Soft but structured, fruity but far from frivolous, I enjoyed this immensely. $20. www.rymill.com.au
