Wynns Michael Shiraz is a 'best-of-vintage' Shiraz from Wynns vineyard sites in Coonawarra and is named after David Wynn's youngest son. Made in the years that best show Coonawarra's unique terroir, this latest release displays the qualities that have made the 'Michael' one of the most highly regarded of all Australian Shiraz with aromas of red currants, cherries and raspberry that mesh every so well with the olive and white spice characters. The palate follows with an elegant structure bursting with dark brooding spice and succulent ripe tannins.
Intense, mineral-accented aromas of cherry, cassis and violets. Juicy with sweet dark berry flavours, bitter chocolate and candied flowers. Powerful and vibrant with excellent balance and clarity. Fine-grained tannins lead a long, spicy, penetrating finish. It will age gracefully.
Château Clinet is a rising star in the small Right Bank region of Pomerol. With its gravely soil mixed with sand, Château Clinet has gradually increased the Merlot component of the wine to produce a voluptuous, smooth and yet still complex red wine that is both pleasing upon release and turns into a read star with a few years in the cellar.
Left in a sorry state by the previous owners, in 1962 the Rothschilds of Lafite took over the property and begun to reconstruct the vineyard which was planted mostly to Petit Verdot. 4 decades later and the wines of Château Duhart-Milon are now showing the flavour and concentration you expect from such a site in Pauillac.
Auguste Clape first came to Cornas in 1949 to marry his wife Henriette whose family owned 5 hectares of vineyards in the appellation. Today his son, Pierre-Marie and grandson Olivier Clape run the estate, which is considered to be the benchmark producer in the region. An
Elegant and aristocratic kaleidoscope of aromas, an abundance of fruit flavours, blackberry, mulberry and blueberry with supporting complexity of mint, eucalypt, rhubarb, Turkish delight and cinnamon. The palate offers a rich tapestry of enjoyment and fulfilment of flavours of raspberry, strawberry and boysenberry to name a few. Made by Jim Barry.
Felton Road is responsible, to a large extent, for putting Central Otago on the world Pinot Noir map. The wines are, well not so much fruit-driven, as perhaps turbo-charged! Amazing levels of red fruits, a subtle yet important savoury component, along with the silky texture all Pinot enthusiasts long for. This single-block wine shows how different portions of a single vineyard can still have a quite unique character, or what the French would call terrior.
An upswing in quality over the past decade or so, has resurrected Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte's position amongst Bordeaux Chateau. New ownership breathed life into exceptionally positioned vineyards, now farmed with less chemicals, with a more sympatico approach in winery. Famed winemaking consultant Michel Rolland is an additional feather in Smith-Haut-Lafitte's cap, enhancing the wines concentration, power and depth, while maintaining a finesse. Though full-bodied, the wine from 2010 will be approachable a little earlier than most other fine Bordeaux, with more moderate tannin - that being said, it's life will stretch several decades too.
A new label and new take on a classic. The Eileen Hardy Shiraz is juicy, plump and full of life with a magnificent backbone of tannin and spice without being overbearing. A classic in the making.
A full and fruity Shiraz, Kaesler Old Bastard is fresh on the nose with hints of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. On the palate, forest fruits, blackberry and mulberry mingle with spices of anise and nutmeg with some coffee and chocolate notes. Tannins are silky and balanced, with a nice acidity. This shiraz will cellar for 20+ years.