It is no secret that many winemakers see Heathcote as the source of some of the best shiraz fruit in the country. This is an absolutely cracking cool-climate shiraz that's made with obvious care and attention. The fruit is hand-picked, the juice gravity fed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in small open-topped tanks and matured in mainly old French barriques for 14 months before release. This won the trophy for best shiraz at the recent Heathcote Wine Show, which wouldn't mean a jot to me if it wasn't for the fact the judging panel has unearthed a real gem. This tastes like a luxury wine, bold but elegant with ballsy dark fruit, pepper and spice and beautifully balanced toasty oak. It's a ripper and is available direct from the winery for $22.95. www.sanguinewines.com.au.
Sometimes the world of wine throws up some delightful surprises. The Tasmanian distributor of Terra Sancta wines from Bannockburn in Central Otago dropped off some samples for me - of which I opened a pair of rieslings and this pinot gris first. I had no idea of the price bracket for the trio but estimated that, given its quality, the pinot gris would have to sell for around $35+. It's an absolutely delicious and complex white wine; floral and with delicious pear intensity on the palate, that finishes dry, has hints of subtle ginger spice and is particularly food friendly. Checking the interweb, I found that it can often be found for under $25 retail. Which makes it a spectacular bargain. Drink young. Enjoy. www.terrasancta.co.nz
A gourmet pizza went down very well accompanied by this cheerful dark and spicy cherry velvet bomb. It's a blend of montepulciano and zinfandel from the Adelaide Hills and grenache from a vineyard above a nudists' beach in McLaren Vale, so could have ended up anything from a disaster to triumph. Judging by my empty bottle, it ended up very much on the right side of the ledger with ripeness and richness from dark berry and currant flavours (chocolate notes also develop when its been open for a while). This is a wine with flourish and dash - I like it a lot. $30. www.byjingowines.com.
A second Yarra Valley pinot noir review in three weeks, I know, but they really are irresistibly luscious. Steve Flamsteed and his winemaking team have this one spot on with a new release that hits a beautiful balance between dark, supple fruity notes and savoury, undergrowth tones. Some whole bunch has added texture and and this is an astutely judged, downright delicious drink that is priced for weekend quaffing but is good enough to sip and savour over a fine dining experience. There's some deli meat, there's some spice, but most of all there is approachability - and value. It's well worth snapping some of this up as I can't imagine it will last long. $25. www.innocentbystander.com.au
