It would be easy to be flippant and say this is one of the best teroldegos in the country; it is also one of the only teroldegos, of course, with the Italian variety from Trentino and Alto Adige in northern Italy still very much a "new" variety in Australia. Teroldego is known for its savoury and tarry notes and this is on track stylistically; a very good wine in any company from the experimental label of Brad Wehr, the West Australian who is best known for his Wine by Brad releases. This Margaret River wine is a big step up in complexity and interest. It is a dark, intense wine full of mouthfeel: and it blossoms with food. $40.
www.amatovino.com.au.
One of the Hunter's benchmark reds; this new release is arguably the finest Graveyard release over four decades. From a classic Hunter red vintage, it is is a wine of impeccable balance, medium-bodied in the regional style and made using older large-format French oak. Think suppleness, spice and structure. It is a wine that will cellar brilliantly. Great work from the winemaking team of Iain Riggs, Simon Steele and Stuart Hordern. And for those on more modest budgets, the 2014 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz retails for around $50 and is also a ripper. $250.
www.brokenwood.com.au
Inspired by talented winemaker Scott Comyns' time spent working in the south of France, this is one of four debut releases from the 2016 vintage under the new Comyns & Co label. Comyns has worked at Tempus Two, Pepper Tree and Briar Ridge but has branched out on his own for this range; which is made at the Andrew Thomas winery in the Hunter Valley, where Comyns also now works. The label designs - by Comyns' artist brother Angus - hint at the irreverent style of the wines; easy-to-drink and fun. This is made from merlot and is savoury and dry in the Provencal style. A label to watch out for. $28. www.comynsandco.com.au.
I am an unashamed admirer of the success that Elias Jreissati, winemaker Paul Bridgeman and the team at Levantine Hill have enjoyed in such a short period of time. They hit the ground running in a bid to make benchmark wines and this, the inaugural release of the single-site Colleen's Paddock Pinot Noir, is a definite sign they are on the right track. It is, quite simply, a delicious cool-climate Yarra Valley pinot noir. Named after Jreissati's wife, it is an almost impossibly silky, superbly savoury pinot that just oozes class. There is a lot going on here, but it also has immediate drinkability. Try a bottle to mark a special occasion. $200. www.levantinehill.com.au.
