Popular Posts

Thursday 25 January 2018

#ADT2018 - Top 50 Australian Wines

The Top 50 Wines from 2018's Australia Day tasting

With over 1,000 wines on show from this continent-sized country, there was no chance of tasting my way round anything more than a small sample, so I checked out the Top 50 Wines.

With prices ranging from £10 - £30+, these were all well-made, sophisticated wines with no rough edges and a European sense of balance and restraint; the fruit and cleanliness were definitely New World, but were matched to a compelling Old World freshness and complexity.
My "best of the best":

Croser NV, Adelaide Hills (£17, Fine Wine Partners) traditional-method fizz; fresh and elegant, with florality, orchard fruits and a creamy texture. Good.

Domaine Naturaliste SB / Semillon Sauvage 2014, Margaret River (£25, Hayward Bros) flintsmoke and toastiness with stone fruits and leesy oakiness. Very Good.

Giant Steps Chardonnay 2015, Yarra Valley (£19.99, Liberty) smoky and zesty with stone fruits and a nutty, full-bodied texture. Very deft and harmonious. Very Good.
Paringa Estate Peninsula Pinot Noir 2016, Morington Peninsula (£26.99, Hallgarten Druitt) sweet and earthy with black cherries and spice; savoury and long.Very Good.

Salena Estate Twisted Sticks Organic CS, 2015 (£11.45, Riverland) fresh and blackcurranty with rounded tannins; Good and Good Value.

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Vineyard CS, 2013, Margaret River (£29.95, Laytons) rich and refined with excellent structure. Very Good.

Petaluma Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Coonawarra (£38, Fine Wine Partners) red and black fruits with spices and florality. Complex, long and textured. Very Good.

Cullen Mangan Vineyard Merlot Malbec Petit Verdot 2016, Margaret River (£24.99, Liberty Wines) fresh, savoury, earthy with dark fruits, supple texture and a grippy finish. Very Good.

Domaine Naturaliste Discovery 2014 Margaret River (£17.99, Hayward Bros) fresh and peppery with black fruits. Good.
Robert Oatley Finisterre Syrah 2013, Great Southern (£23.50, Hatch Mansfield) dark fruits and spice; fresh, mineral and earthy. Very Good.

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2016 (£24.99, Liberty) ripe. rich fruit; complex and approachable with fine tannins. Very Good.

Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2015, Adelaide Hills (£29.99, Liberty) black fruits, olives and savouriness; supple, elegant and Rhonesque. Very Good.

No comments:

Post a Comment