Curly Flat 2024 Pinot Noir

Curly Flat is a Macedon Ranges producer of stellar pinot noirs and chardonnays. The new release of their estate pinot noir lives up to expectations with a wine of power and balance that is grown, vinified and bottle on site outside the hamlet of Lancefield. So a family-owned producer with total control. While this producer's Williams Crossing 2024 is designed for casual sipping, this one is stylish and dinner party worthy; perhaps matched with roasted quail or Peking duck. A tip. Let this one breathe for a few minutes after opening to enjoy it at its best. $72. https://curlyflat.com/

Henschke 2025 Julius Riesling

 

Six generations of the Henschke family have been making wines in South Australia for over 150 years - and their immense range really does offer something for everyone.  All their wines come with class and style and I was particularly impressed by this benchmark Eden Valley riesling - an exemplar of the family expertise with the grape variety. Named in honour of a family ancestor, this is a pale, aromatic example with citrus and floral on the nose with lime/grapefruit flavours to the fore on a zesty palate with impressive flinty minerality and lively acid. A perfect after-work libation, or ideal for pairing with seafood or lightly spiced Asian dishes. Fine and focussed. $56. https://www.henschke.com.au/

Wirra Wirra 2022 The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Serious and stylish, the is exactly the sort of the red wine you want to serve when seeking to impress. There is complexity and intensity here, as you'd expect from this standout McLaren Vale producer, but there is also impressive flavour balance. The fruit comes from two differerent vineyards and has been open fermented and spent time on skins before being basket pressed and then matured for 18 months in quality French oak. Match this with a fillet steak and mushrooms, or maybe a goulash casserole. Very classy $80. www.wirrawirra.com.au  

Hoddles Creek 2025 Pinot Gris

 

A surprise package from the d'Anna family, who produce outstanding wines in the Yarra Valley. It is not a wine for everyone but will certainly be a hit with lovers of skin-contact wines. It is salmon coloured,  but not to be mistaken for a rosé. It is a blend of fruit from two blocks, one picked early for freshness, the other picked later for tannin ripeness from the skin contact. It is a wine of impressive vibrancy, with a savoury, dry finish. It is treated like a red wine in the winery and that gives it added tannin structure. Versatile, too. Pair with anything from a mushroom quiche to a tapas plate. $26. www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au

Moss Wood 2024 Amy's

Calling all lovers of Bordeaux-style red blends. This is cabernet-driven wine from one of Margaret River's best producers that offers an excellent each way bet: drink now or cellar for a decade or more. It is a blend of 72% cabernet with the remainder of the blend made up of merlot, malbec and petit verdot. A wine of impeccable balance with classic currant/berry/plum notes allied to violet, dark chocolate and cedary oak characters. There is impressive structure here, but also bright acid that aid immediate accessibility. Concentrated but beguiling. $40. www.mosswood.com.au 

Pizzini 2024 Verduzzo

 

Verduzzo eh? I can honestly say that I haven't drunk a lot of wine made from this white grape variety. This one comes from the Pizzini family in the King Valley, masters of many Italian varieties, and it turns out it is a very sharp wine - texturally interesting and very food friendly. Verduzzo can be traced back to the 1400s in north-east Italy, but is has always been a fringe grape despite its appealing chalkiness. With 50% fermented in stainless steel and 50% in oak, this has an impressive minerality/acidity balance and is drinking well at one year of age. The bad news: I got to this one late. THis vntage is sold out at the Pizzini cellars, but you might get lucky and find some in retail land. Pair with food as as you would a Chablis. $35. https://www.pizzini.com.au/         

Terre a Terre 2023 Crayeres Vineyard Cabernet Franc

 

It is a mystery why cabernet franc is not more popular in Australia given the grape variety is a perfect fit for our climate, lifestyle and food choices. The Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2023 is the ninth vintage of a cabernet franc-based release from Xiavier Bizot and Lucy Croser's Wrattonbully (Limestone Coast) vineyard. From a cool and wet vintage, this a very chic, food-friendly release that has seen 8% shiraz added to the final blend to lift the middle palate. A Bordeaux/Rhone marriage of convenience. The end result is bright, medium bodied and enticingly gluggable. Pair with old school roast chicken, or other poultry dishes. $35. https://terreaterre.com.au/