Thursday, September 28, 2023
St Hallett 2019 Old Block Shiraz
Thursday, September 21, 2023
El Nino de Campillo 2021 Rioja
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Bremerton 2023 Molly and Merle Verdelho
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Woodstock 2023 Fiano
Australian family-owned McLaren Vale winery Woodstock are welcoming their first vintage of
Fiano to the portfolio in 2023, in a move inspired by our adapting climate and Australian
consumer tastes.
Driven by a strong belief in the potential of the ancient Italian white variety, the Collett
winemaking family have planted Fiano on their Estate straddling the Blewitt Springs
subregion of McLaren Vale.
“McLaren Vale has always been a champion of local food with wine, something Woodstock
embraced back in the 1980s when we opened the region’s first winery restaurant, the
Coterie,” explains third generation winemaker, Peter Collett.
“It feels fitting that a variety so suited to pairing with a huge range of foods thrives in our
corner of the region – Fiano is perfectly suited to our warm, Mediterranean conditions, deep
sandy soils and presents a lot of versatility when it comes to vinification.
“Fiano grapes manage to retain great natural acidity despite the fact that they are relatively
late-ripening – that is exciting from a winemaking perspective as it allows us to create a
modern, complex white wine well-suited to Australian lifestyles”, Peter adds.
For the inaugural 2023 vintage, Woodstock’s viticulture and winemaking team partnered with
renowned McLaren Vale grower, Vicky Vasarelli, with future vintages to be made with Estate-
grown Fiano planted in 2022.
Handpicked at optimal flavour ripeness, the Fiano was pressed into a combination of
stainless-steel and oak hogsheads for fermentation.
“While the tank component creates a clean, crisp and aromatic wine where the acid and
minerality shine, retaining the lees in the barrel fermented component for toasty characters
allows us to build textural complexity in the finished blend,” Peter says.
The resulting wine boasts tropical notes of pineapple and guava on the nose, with a lively
palate brimming with mouth-filling fruit characters and a subtle creamy texture. The wine
finishes dry and crisp, exhibiting hints of citrus and minerality.Tropical fruits of pineapple and guava on the nose with hints of passionfruit. The palate is full of life, brimming with mouth filling fruit sweetness and subtle creamy texture. The wine finishes dry and crisp exhibiting hints of citrus and minerality.
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Wickhams Road 2023 Yea Valley Riesling
This is just the second release of what is arguably the best sub-$20 dry riesling in Australia. The d'Anna family of Hoddles Creek fame in the Yarra Valley are sourcing fruit for some of their entry-level Wickhams Road wines from the unheralded Yea Valley, around 100km north of Melbourne. They've struck gold with this little parcel of deliciousness, and a similarly impressive cabernet franc. This is perfumed, bright and juicy with really zingy acid and lip-smacking citrus flavours to the fore. A portion has seen oak foudre treatment for added complexity but it is zippy, youthful appeal that is the selling point. $20. www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au/
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Gundog Estate 2023 Wild Semillon
Youthful Hunter semillon can often be challenging when first released given its high acidity, which can dominate the palate. Matt Burton from Gundog Estate produces a range of semillons in various styles, and this one pushes the boundaries a little by fermenting a portion of the wine on skins (like a red wine) using indigenous yeasts. This results in a more complex and interesting style with just a hint of residual sugar (10gl). There are more fleshy stone fruit and herbal notes than in most Hunter semillons, and this would pair well with everything from Thai stir fries to our choice, which was a crumbed veal schnitzel. $35. https://gundogestate.com.au/
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Clonakilla 2022 Shiraz Viognier
Red wine blended with some white? It sounded absurd when it was first mooted. But the folk in the Rhone Valley know a bit about wine - and the Kirk family were happy to follow in the footsteps of their experience when they launched what was to become an Australian wine benchmark back in 1992. Dr John Kirk planted a small amount of viognier at his Murrumbateman vineyard near Canberra in the mid 1980s and in 1992 his son, Tim, co-fermented a small batch of the viognier fruit with shiraz. An Australian benchmark wine was born. The new-release 2022 is one of the finest over the 30-year period. From a cool vintage in a cool region this is intense, spicy, beautifully balanced at just 13% alcohol. Complex, pretty and completely satisfying. Think a professional dancer: core strength but lightness of foot. $120 - and worth it. Perhaps a Father's Day gift. 97 points. www.clonakilla.com.au