Question: When is a GSM not a GSM? Answer: When it comes from the Barossa Valley. While the blend of Grenache Shiraz (or Syrah) and Mouvedre (also called Mataro) (“GSM”) is the calling card of the southern Rhone region in France, some Australian producers have also had remarkable success with the marriage of the “Holy…
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Look out South Australia, here come the new styles of Hunter Valley Shiraz that have cast off their earthy coat of viticultural mouldiness and arrived clean, glammed up and ready for a rich berry-fruited party on your palate! And the guest of honour on this occasion is the Meerea Park 2010 ‘The Aunts’ Shiraz. Made…
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If you’ve never heard of Saperavi, then I’m possibly not alone! No, it’s not a Spanish swear word, but rather a grape native to Georgia (as in the former Soviet Bloc State) and as old as the hills it grows in! I’d never tried one until I recently happened upon the Massena Saperavi (2010) at…
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The fastest growing wine region in New Zealand is the Waipara Valley – situated only about 40 mins north of Christchurch and boasting about 1,200 hectares of vineyards. The climate and geography are ideally suited to fruiting vines, and there is no more obvious beneficiary than the Greystone Sand Dollar Pinot Gris. Where some Pinot…
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Most Sunshine Coasters would know Trevor Harch as a founder of the Evans Harch construction company, but in his “retirement”, he’s apparently exchanged his spirit level and measuring tape for some pruning shears and a tasting glass! Trevor (and wife, Marilyn) have long been Barossa-philes and have recently added to their business interests with a…
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The term ‘Marlborough Sauv Blanc’ has become synonymous with tropical fruit nose, gooseberry and nectarine flavours on the palate and a crisp, clean finish. But while the basics are always the same, there is little doubt that like most things in life, you only get what you pay for! A classic example is the Brancott…
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We’ve always been ‘the Lucky Country’, but if you ever needed to be reminded just how lucky…grab a bottle of the Shingleback 2010 Chardonnay and see for yourself! The wine hails from the McLaren Vale region in South Australia, which is renowned for its uncanny resemblance to the Mediterranean climate with wet winters, dry summers…
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I’m normally a sucker for a Margaret River Chardonnay, but they really should have called this one “The Verse 1 Doughnut”, because I reckon there’s a really big hole in the middle. The French Oak and yeast lees are evident on the nose from the moment that you raise your glass. At first, the front…
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The west of this great land may best be renowned for its mineral riches, the Kimberleys and wildflowers, but in years to come, I suspect that its SSB (Semillon Sauvignon Blanc) will become just as well known. The Margaret River region is perhaps the State’s premier wine district and along with its Cabernet, the SSB…
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