Chris Shanahan: Wine review– Coriole, Kirrihill and Gallagher

Coriole McLaren Vale Sangiovese 2013 $22–$25
What to drink with Tuesday night pizza? Tongue and Groove’s short wine list offered several tempting drops. But we settled for Coriole sangiovese, the Italian variety grown and made in McLaren Vale by the Lloyd family. They planted sangiovese in 1985 and over the years, they’ve polished it to a high standard. In the excellent 2013 vintage, the wine offers delicious plush, juicy fruit flavours, with an underlying savouriness, but softer tannins than we expect from the variety. The fruity softness made it appealing even before the food arrived. And the savouriness sat well with the rich pizza flavours.

Kirrihill Vineyard Selection Watervale Riesling 2014 $20
Kirribilli offers a range of wines sourced from vineyards in the Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills. Their riesling comes from two vineyards at Watervale, at the southern end of the Clare Valley. For a fair price it delivers the region’s floral and citrus-like aromas, intense, lime-like flavour and racy, dry finish. Despite its flavour intensity, the wine remains light-bodied, at 11 per-cent alcohol, and pleasingly delicate. The fruit purity, aromatics and delicacy come down to gentle grape handling and protective winemaking techniques.

Gallagher Canberra District Riesling 2014 $22
Good on the Hellenic Club for offering a local wine of this calibre by the glass. Like other Canberra 2014 vintage rieslings, Gallagher offers highly perfumed, floral aromas, with generous, juicy, citrus-like varietal flavours. However, there’s a gentle delicacy to the palate and a zingy acidity that makes it impressively vibrant and fresh. A modest alcohol content of 11.4 per cent adds to its drinking appeal. Based on many earlier vintages, you can enjoy this wine for its youthful fruitiness now, or follow its flavour evolution over the next four or five years – perhaps longer in a cool, dark cellar.