Riversdale Estate 2016 Syrah - Tasmania

PROVING just how good is an
increasing range of wines out of Tasmania

ONE TO NOTE:  INCREASING  numbers of growers in Tasmania are reporting great results from trial plantings of Syrah, with buyers who've a passion for cool-climate wines realising just how good are the wines from these vines.

Amongst one of these successes is Riversdale Estate with its 2016 Syrah off vines planted almost a decade ago at Cambridge, in southern Tassie's renowned Coal River Valley. With fruit for the 2016 being intensely flavoured, together with bonus natural acidity and fine tannins, it's all made for a really rewarding drop

Spicy and savoury and with a touch of oak, the marvellous length of flavour will make for a great match with something a bit out of the ordinary like rare pan-seared venison with rosemary and dried cherries. Pay $36 at cellar door, online at info@riversdaleestate.com.au or by phone on 03 6248 5555; freight is extra.

20 Mar 17

Wynns 2014 Coonawarra Estate Shiraz

AN OUTSTANDING drop first
released under this label in 1952.

THE SQUIRE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT NOW

David Ellis

IT'S little wonder that John Riddoch had been dubbed 'the Squire of Penola' by neighbours of his vast estate at Coonawarra back in the late nineteenth century -  the property covered an amazing 700 square kilometres, and from the early 1880s had been supporting as many as 160,000 sheep.

But in the early 1890s 'the Squire' decided it was time to down-size, and so carved it up into smaller blocks which he sold off  to new settlers, while also planting 52ha of vineyards for himself on part of what he had kept.

After his death in 1901 those 52ha somewhat languished, until Melbourne wine merchants Samuel and David Wynn became impressed with the richness and intensity of wines still coming off the old property. So impressed, in fact, that they bought the place in 1951, renaming it Wynns Coonawarra Estate.

Just a year later they released a 1952 Shiraz under the estate's name, and a now-released 2014 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz furthers the reputation of this premium Coonawarra Shiraz under the label.

Medium-bodied with lovely flavours of red and black fruits, forest floor brambles and a cool spiciness, this 2014 is fresh, lively and rich, and has a beautifully lingering finish. At $25 it's a particularly nice choice with barbecued lamb burgers.



20 March 2017

Blue Wren No. 516 Rosé - Mudgee

Blue Wren, nestled amongst the vines and situated in one of New South Wales' premium wine regions – Mudgee - has just released their first ever rosé label, Blue Wren No. 516 Rosé.

Joining the Rosé Revolution this is the first time that Blue Wren has produced rosé, using Merlot grapes from The Lost Block. The Lost Block is located in the Mudgee region, situated on a small four-acre block that produces low yielding yet high quality fruit and having never  been utilised for a decade - hence the title of The Lost Block.

The result of this is the Blue Wren No. 516 Rosé exhibiting a delicate wine that is clean and crisp with a subtle pink colour and fresh lifted with red berry fruit of the raspberry and a slight hint of strawberry.

At 13.5% alcohol, Blue Wren's rosé is a tran-seasonal drink, that is crisp, dry and savoury on the palate with a sharp dry quick finish making it the perfect dinner aperitif or equally a pleasant light dessert wine.

"We are very happy with the result. Mudgee's grape growing conditions are well suited to traditional rosé varieties, that give rosé produced in Mudgee a distinct ripe and savoury taste that goes with a range of dishes," Says Blue Wren owner Kip Harris.

Today, Rosé wine is among the fastest growing wine styles in Australia because of its refreshing drinkability, and suits the warm climate and it goes with a wide selection of foods.

"We have seen the popularity for rosé grow in and around the region and the exceptional quality of grapes produced here in Mudgee. We are now a part of the Rosé Revolution and have created a vibrant and tran-seasonal wine," says Harris.

For further information please visit: www.bluewrenwines.com.au

Visiting the famous Bundaberg Rum Distillery

The Bundaberg Rum Distillery is a unique, authentically Australian icon unlike any other. For over 128 years the Bundaberg Rum Distillery has proudly created the smooth golden liquor made from the finest sugar cane in tropical Queensland, surviving two fires and two floods as an enduring testament to the Australian spirit.

Visitor Experience Entrance

Whether you’re a rum enthusiast or planning a weekend away, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, just four hours north of Brisbane airport, offers guests an unforgettable and one of a kind distillery experience.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Riesling 2016

FIFTY-FIVE years on and still going strong, here's a
Riesling that will go with anything from
seafood to duck, pork to chicken, Thai to tacos.

ONE TO NOTE:  FOR a region famed for its red wines, it's interesting that Coonawarra is also home to Wynns Coonawarra Estate Riesling, a wine that's been a favourite of Aussie Riesling buffs for its consistency of flavour, quality and expression of variety since 1962 – some fifty-five years.

And its latest release from 2016 is again up there with everything that's made this wine such a favourite, with classic lemon and lime Riesling flavours and a refreshing but soft acidity.

Plus with few boundaries when it comes to pairing with food, this is a drop to match with virtually anything from seafood to duck, pork to chicken or Thai to tacos. Or simply on its own over a good conversation, or watching a favourite movie on TV.

Pay $25 and enjoy now, or give it a few years in a cool, dark spot to age gracefully.

Weemala 2014 Merlot - Peter Logan - NSW Central Ranges

PAN fried veal chops and brown
mushrooms make for a perfect
pairing with this Merlot
from NSW's Central Ranges.

PETER LOGAN'S 20 year old vines on the red loam soils of his vineyards at Mudgee and Orange in the Central Ranges of NSW, have given him good reward with his 2014 Weemala Merlot, a now-available and beautifully stylish wine with its palate of bright mixed berries and thyme, before a long dry finish.

And it makes for a particularly good drop to put on the table with pan fried veal chops and brown mushrooms, the more-so too with its price tag of $19.95.

Peter actually opted to leave 25% of his Merlot on the vines in 2014, the 75% that he did harvest being his best ripe and clean fruit, and the most richly flavoured, of nice texture and with excellent varietal characters.

For those who love to get their nose into the bottle or glass, there's rewarding results here too, the high-altitude Central Ranges always to the fore with wines that are nice and highly perfumed  – in the case of this 2014 Logan Weemala Merlot, of predominantly violets, black olives and truffles.

And if you may be wondering about the name Weemala, it's a local aboriginal word for 'good view,' which certainly Peter's vineyards enjoy out there in those lofty cool climate Central Ranges.

Logan Wines 2016 Sauvignon Blanc- NSW Central Ranges

THIS one makes for a
delightful match with pork
four-quarter chops and apple sauce.

A SAUVIGNON BLANC SO TRUE TO VARIETY

David Ellis

THE growing season for vintage 2016 in NSW's Central Ranges that local maker Logan Wines summed up as "unpredictably kind," gave the company both the biggest harvest in its 20 year history, and it's earliest.

After starting, in the words of owner and winemaker, Peter Logan "scarily hot and dry," the 2016 season soon gave way to much needed rain and mild temperatures, which all proved that even cold climate wine can benefit from a good dose of vitamin D and a wash-down with a healthy amount of water.

"As a result we squeezed in our biggest harvest ever in the shortest number of days," says Peter. "A few records were broken, and nearly a few backs in the process, but we're already reaping the rewards."

And he's particularly happy with the season's 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, a variety that loves sunshine, but with too much heat can ripen without developing flavour, and also lose the all-important acid that it needs. "But this one's proved absolutely true to variety, with complexity and round but fresh drinkability," Peter says.

With prominent grapefruit and guava flavours on a core of lime and minerality, it's a delightful match with pork four-quarter chops and apple sauce; well-priced at $23.



27 March 2017