If you enjoyed your red wines with bright, juicy, jubey fruit then this new release from Barossa Valley producer Turkey Flat will be right up your funky laneway. Grenache thrives in the Barossa but in recent times it has been used more for fortified wines than table wines. This is made largely from vines that are close to 100 years old, providing fruit intensity and plushness in the mouth, aided by toasty oak. Pair this dark, down and dirty red with a traditional roast lamb. $40. www.turkeyflat.com.au.
Why would you pay more for a Yarra Valley chardonnay than some from Burgundy you ask? Well, this is no ordinary Yarra wine; it is a hand-picked, single-vineyard release from one the finest patches of wine dirt in Victoria made by chardonnay maestro David Bicknell and his team at Oakridge. The 864 range aims to show off the best regional terroirs, but in this case has also produced a world-class chardonnay. Think wild yeast fermentation, quality French oak (although only 20% of it new), 15 months on lees and lots of attention to detail. And unlike most Burgundies it comes under a reliable screw cap closure for. Immense drinking pleasure to be found here. $85. www.oakridgewines.com.au.
