Zeppelin Eden Valley Riesling 2010 $16–$20
Zeppelin wines are made by Barossa specialists Kym Teusner and Corey Ryan and distributed by McWilliams. Ryan made this wine and writes, “Sourced from a 25 year old, low yielding, dry grown vineyard. Hand picked and then whole bunch pressed with only the lowest yielding free run juice used”. This translates in the very cool 2011 vintage to an intensely flavoured but delicate riesling with a bracing spine of acidity. The acidity accentuates the lemony varietal flavour, dries out the finish and probably guarantees a good cellaring life for the wine.

Hewitson McLaren Vale The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2010 $70
Hewitson Old Garden Barossa Valley Mourvedre 2010 $110
These are tiny production wines from old vineyards located in McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, both matured in all-new oak carefully (and successfully) selected to match the fruit. The Mad Hatter comes from a very old vineyard at Blewitt Springs, and Old Garden from a Barossa vineyard planted in 1853. Winemaker Dean Hewitson believes these to be the oldest mourvedre vines in the world. Both are great and unique wines, expressing the fruit flavours of their vineyards, enhanced and not overwhelmed by all the new oak.

Bleasdale Langhorne Creek Uncle Dick’s Malbec 2010 $99 dozen
Bleasdale channels bits and pieces of its substantial and diverse production into the Uncle Dick’s label, created especially for its online wine club. This is good news for drinkers because the wines are very good but cheaper than the mainstream Bleasdale label. Malbec – a red variety the Langhorne Creek region does particularly well – appeals for its rich, ripe, plummy flavours and firm but not hard tannins. It’s a little different, but easy to love and very cheap at $99 a dozen – available only through the cellar door.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 1 July 2012 in The Canberra Times

Zeppelin Shiraz 2010 $16–$20
Angaston foothills, Barossa Valley, South Australia
Winemaker Kym Teusner established Teusner Wines in 2001, sourcing grapes from very old, low-yielding grenache vines threatened by low grape prices. Teusner succeeded, proving the vines to be commercially viable. In the ensuing decade Teusner expanded the range of Barossa vineyards he sourced from, selling the wines under his now highly regarded Teusner label. More recently he introduced the Zeppelin label. Widely distributed by McWilliams, the two Zeppelins reviewed today offer wonderful Barossa flavour at low prices. Teusner says the wines come from 60-to-80-year-old vines. The shiraz will certainly appeal more broadly than the grenache. Its lovely aroma, full, supple, ripe palate and gentle tannins are simply delicious. The wine comes from an old shiraz vineyard near Angaston in the eastern Barossa.

Zeppelin Grenache 2010 $16–$20
Northern Barossa Valley, South Australia
This is comparable in quality to Zeppelin shiraz, our wine of the day. My only caveat, based on years of group tasting, including a recent one featuring both wines, is that people tend to love or hate grenache. And it seldom tops a tasting alongside shiraz. It’s normally more alcoholic than shiraz as it requires longer on vine to ripen; and the colour is usually paler. However, if you like grenache, Zeppelin is a powerful expression of the Barossa style, sourced from 80-year-old vines located between Greenock and Ebenezer. It sometimes presents musk-like for confection-like flavours. But Zeppelin is more earthy and savoury with attractive spicy notes.

Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2009 $57–$75
Marananga, Western Barossa Valley, South Australia
Marananga, towards the western side of the Barossa, produces powerful shiraz, often making the grade for Grange. The quality of shiraz from the area prompted large-scale vineyard expansion there in the nineties, opening the way for Penfolds to produce a sub-regional wine, Bin 150, in 2008. The second vintage, matured in both French and American oak, is a powerful but graceful Barossa shiraz. The oak and fruit work beautifully together, the fruit always at the centre but enriched by the oak flavour and tannins.

Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling 2011 $23.75–$33
Eden Valley, South Australia
The Eden Valley forms the elevated, eastern boundary of the Barossa region. Significantly cooler than the Barossa floor and the Clare Valley (located to the north on the same ranges), Eden at its best produces lean, tightly structured, intensely flavoured rieslings capable of cellaring for decades. The cool 2011 exacerbates that lean, tight structure. But it also means even more intense fruit flavours in this dry, 11-per-cent alcohol wine. It’s a classy wine offering very good cellaring potential. Watch for the retail discounts, around $10 a bottle below recommended price.

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2012 $15.20–$19
Florita vineyard, Watervale, Clare Valley, South Australia
The first 2012 white on the tasting bench sets a cracking pace, and points to an excellent riesling vintage. From the former Leo Buring Florita vineyard (purchased from Lindemans by the Barry family in 1986) the new release hits the palate with impressive lime-like briskness. Dry as a plank, but intensely fruity, it teases and satisfies the palate at the same time. The high acid and fine, intense, lime-like fruit flavour make it an excellent oyster wine. But it’ll mellow and flesh out with cellaring, providing drinking pleasure in various guises for a decade or more.

Annie’s Lane Riesling 2012 $13.30–$21
Clare Valley, South Australia
Annie’s Lane, part of Treasury Wine Estates (spun out of Foster’s), provides notably fuller, softer drinking than Jim Barry’s riesling – variations on the Clare style. Winemaker Alex Mackenzie’s press release offers no information about grape sourcing, winemaking or technical details on the wine. But it’s slightly deeper coloured than the Jim Barry wine, leaning more to floral than lime aroma. The palate reflects the aroma, beginning floral then leaning to roundness and a fresh, lemony finish – but without the jaw-dropping freshness of the comparably priced Barry wine.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 27 June 2012 in The Canberra Times

Penfolds Bin 23 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2011 $32–$40
What a beautiful, satisfying pinot this is, albeit a little off the Penfolds beaten path. The teasing, stalky character suggests whole-bunch fermentation – mainstream for pinot makers. But the chewy, tough-edged tannins seemed a world away from the highly polished Penfolds style. The cloudiness, too, zigged away from the normal pristine purity. An email to winemaker Peter Gago drew the immediate response, “The P/Noirs made at Magill are all cold-soaked, naturally fermented, and spend their maturation in barrique on lees … almost always bottled unfiltered, never fined. The cost of this ‘hands-off’, flavour-retentive approach is occasional turbidity”.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 24 June 2012 in The Canberra Times

Penfolds Thomas Hyland Cool Climate Chardonnay 2011 $15.25–$24
Predominantly Adelaide Hills, South Australia
We could call Thomas Hyland the forgotten Penfolds range – sitting quietly in the shade of the much-hyped bin and icon wines. The chardonnay debuted in 2001, an offshoot of the “white Grange” project that delivered the flagship Yattarna and Adelaide Hills Reserve Bin chardonnays. The style evolved with the times, and in the 2011 vintage we enjoy a trim, taut wine that looks a steal when the big retailers discount it below $20 ($15.35 at Dan Murphy as I write). At a modest 12 per cent alcohol, it delivers the acid backbone and lemon and grapefruit varietal flavour of the cool vintage. Fermentation and maturation in French oak barrels added nutty and spicy flavours and a smooth, rich texture to support the fruit.

Swinging Bridge Shiraz 2010 $19
Canowindra, NSW
On a recent visit to Canberra, winemaker Tom Ward presented eight consecutive vintages – 2004 to 2011 – of the shiraz he makes from the family’s Canowindra vineyard. While the flavour of the wines reflected seasonal weather variations, they shared a common thread: red-berry and spice flavours and medium body. It’s a delicious, easy-drinking combination. We enjoyed the slightly firmer 2010 vintage (current release), wedged in between the fleshier 2009 and the notably lighter, peppery, utterly delicious 2011 vintage (not yet released). Current releases are available for tasting at the cellar door – in the restored Finn’s Story, Gaskill Street Canowindra.

Swinging Bridge Reserve Shiraz 2010 $45
Canowindra, NSW
Swinging Bridge Reserve Shiraz retains the medium bodied style of the standard shiraz – but rises above it with deep, sweet, juicy, spicy fruit flavour, set in layers of firm, ripe tannins. The extra dimension the wine offers comes partly from fruit selection in the vineyard, and partly from maturation in new oak, which adds to both the flavour and texture. While the wine’s powerful and concentrated, it’s elegantly structured, with a moderate alcohol level of 13 per cent.

Evans and Tate Redbank Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $38
Margaret River, Western Australi
Evans and Tate Redbank rated top in a recent tasting of cabernet and related varieties from St Emillion (France), Mornington Peninsula, Macedon, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Frankland River and Margaret River. Second runner, Balnaves of Coonawarra The Tally Reserve 2009, may ultimately be the better wine. It just needs extended cellaring. But Redbank seduces now with its sweet perfume and elegant, supple, fine palate – a really beautiful expression of cabernet sauvignon.

Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz 2009 $22.80–$30
Mount Langi Ghiran vineyard, Grampians, Victoria
This is the second vintage of Mount Langi Ghiran’s popular Cliff Edge shiraz sourced entirely from estate-grown fruit, some of it from the estate’s oldest vines. Like the 2008 before it – perhaps more so – the 2009 is as sexy as shiraz gets at the price – beautifully, sweetly aromatic with a vibrant, fruity palate to match. A spicy, savoury flavour undercurrent and silky tannins make it the complete red for early drinking – though the flavour intensity and layers of tannin mean good short to medium-term cellaring.

Birks Chip Dry Very Dry Fino $25 375ml
Wagga and Yanda, NSW; Barossa Valley, South Australia
Andrew Birk’s limited release Chip Dry is a superb example of Australia’s traditional fino style, modelled on Spain’s fino sherry, from Jerez. At 18.5 per cent alcohol, Birks is bigger than Spanish versions or, indeed, than modern Australian styles, like Seppeltsfield Flora Fino at 16 per cent. But for sherry lovers it’s a dry and tasty treat, made from the palomino grape and matured for many in oak under a natural bloom, or “flor” of yeast. It is indeed chip dry and fine, with sherry’s distinctive nutty flavours. It’s available through Bidgeebong Wines (winery@bidgeebong.com.au).

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 20 June 2012 in The Canberra Times

Lerida Estate Shiraz Viognier 2009 – $65
Lerida Estate vineyard, Lake George, Canberra District, NSW
Inspired largely by Dr Edgar Riek’s pinot noir, Jim Lumbers and Anne Caine established Lerida Estate in 2000, next door to Riek’s Lake George vineyard (acquired by the Karelas family in 1998). However, in a run of warm vintages in the new century (until 2011, that is) shiraz generally outperformed pinot – hitting an impressive peak in 2009. Its awards, to date, include gold medals in the Canberra Regional, National, Winewise Small Vignerons, NSW Small Winemakers and Sydney International shows. And it takes only one glass to side with the judges. It’s a thrilling wine – fragrant, juicy, fruity and seasoned with cool climate spiciness. Despite its 14.9 alcohol, Lerida remains elegant, medium bodied and seductive now. But it tastes so young, so fresh and so vibrant it’ll probably age well for many years.

Lowe Reserve Zinfandel 2009 $75
Lowe Vineyard, Mudgee, NSW
In 1995, with the aid of California’s Ridge Vineyards (Lytton Springs), David Lowe planted zinfandel at Mudgee – the connection being the hard, quartz and shale soils of these two former gold-mining regions. The vines took well in Mudgee, as they had in California 150 years earlier. But, says Lowe, they’re prolific, growing like crazy even in hard soils. In a typical season he harvests just one tonne to the hectare, leaving double that amount on the ground. In a recent tasting of the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009 vintages, the 2006 and 2009 in particular impressed – the 2006 for refinement and elegance; the 2009 for generosity and fine-boned structure.

Lowe Tinja Organic Preservative-free Merlot 2012 $20
Lowe vineyard, Mudgee, NSW
This is David Lowe’s fifth Tinja preservative-free merlot – targeted, he says at young people and people allergic to sulphur dioxide, the preservative used in almost every wine on the market. It’s a not easy capturing and preserving vibrant fruit flavours without sulphur. But Lowe’s latest vintage does just that: the colour’s limpid and vibrant and the aroma and flavour are all about pure, fresh fruitiness. Lively acidity and firm tannins help preserve the fruit. It’s like Beaujolais with balls, and ready to enjoy now.

Swinging Bridge Chardonnay 2010 $16–$20
Canowindra, Central Ranges, NSW
On a visit to Canberra in late May, winemaker Tom Ward showed five vintages of his Canowindra chardonnay. They’re terrific wines and a reminder that the Cowra–Canowindra area has a long history of making very good chardonnay at comparatively low prices. While the 2010 reveals a tightening of the style, it shares delicious underlying peaches and melon varietal flavour with the older, slightly bigger wines. The older vintages, especially the 2007, all continue to drink beautifully – especially. This reassures us that a case of the 2010 purchased now might give drinking pleasure for perhaps another decade.

Swinging Bridge Reserve Chardonnay 2011 $32–$36
Orange, NSW
Tom Ward’s reserve chardonnay comes from a chilly Orange vineyard located 900 metres above sea level. It’s only a short distance from Ward’s family vineyard at Canowindra. But the rise in elevation shifts chardonnay’s varietal flavour from plump and juicy peaches and melon to lean and grapefruit-like. To preserve this flavour, he favours cultivated yeasts over wild yeasts for the fermentation in barrels. The resulting pale-coloured wine has the body and rich texture of chardonnay cut with intense, grapefruit-like varietal flavour – in all, an elegant, refined drop to savour.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 13 June 2012 in The Canberra Times

Thomas Sweetwater Hunter Valley Shiraz 2010 $35
Thomas Motel Block Shiraz 2010 $50
Hunter winemaker Andrew Thomas recently released four single vineyard shirazes from the 2010 vintage – delicious variants on the earthy, medium-bodied Hunter theme. The delightfully named Sweetwater, from Belford, offers floral aromas and a juicy, fleshy, soft palate – lovely to drink now but probably good to cellar for up to a decade. The dry-grown vines on Motel Block vineyard, planted in 1967, produce a more concentrated, firmer wine than Sweetwater. It retains the unmistakable earthy, sweet flavours of Hunter Shiraz and the medium body. The combination of sweet, powerful fruit and firm tannins may preserve this wine for decades.

Under and Over Heathcote Shiraz 2010 $11–$13
Under and Over is a McWilliams brand comprising three regional specialties – pinot gris from the King Valley Victoria, chardonnay from Tumbarumba NSW and this shiraz from Heathcote, Victoria. Vignerons in the region, McWilliams included, make much of the “ancient Cambrian soils”. But this is a loosely used term and, most certainly, the soils haven’t been lying around on the surface since the Cambrian era 500 million years ago. (For a geologist’s overview, see A comment on the red soils of Heathcote Heathcote by David Farmer). With equal certainty the region grows beautiful shiraz, including this bright, savoury, grippy, medium bodied style made by Nicholas Crampton and Corey Ryan.

Brown Brothers Single Vineyard Heathcote Shiraz 2010 $23–$30
In its search for grapes suited to modern table wines, Brown Brothers wandered far from its base at Milawa, on the hot Oxley Plains. They initially pushed south to the higher, cooler reaches of the King Valley. But in the nineties, they established a vineyard on the Mount Camel Range, in Victoria’s Heathcote region – source of this appealing red. What do you get for about double the price of the other Heathcote shiraz reviewed today? Well, not double the quality, but a significant lift – principally in the sweeter, more concentrated fruit flavour and finer, silkier tannin structure.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 10 June 2012 in The Canberra Times

Andrew Thomas Kiss Shiraz 2010 $60
Pokolbin Estate Vineyard, Pokolbin, Lower Hunter Valley, NSW
On 4 May, Andrew Thomas released four outstanding single vineyard Hunter shirazes, including the two reviewed today – the drink-now DJV and potentially long-lived Kiss. From a vineyard planted in 1969, Kiss reminds me, in its finesse and understatement, of the legendary Lindemans Bin 1590 Hunter Burgundy 1959. It’s of a medium hue and body, an aroma combining bright fruit, Hunter earthiness and the subtle spice of French oak. These carry through to the intense, elegant, perfectly balanced palate. This is a unique Australian style – and a great wine by any measure.

Andrew Thomas DJV Shiraz 2010 $30
Lindeman Ben Ean Vineyard, Pokolbin, Lower Hunter Valley, NSW
Ben Ean vineyard gave its name to Lindeman’s popular “moselle” of the 1960s, though the wine shared no physical connection with the vineyard. In this brilliant blend, Andrew Thomas uses shiraz from those venerable old Hunter vines, co-fermented with nine per cent semillon verjuice. This results in a highly fragrant, supple, juicy, fruity, medium bodied red. The bright fruit, medium body and soft tannins provide exciting current drinking. Once again the warm Hunter delivers the suave elegance we expect from cooler areas.

Brown Brothers Limited Release Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2011 $24.90
Banksdale Vineyard, King Valley, Victoria
Brown Brothers’ single-vineyard chardonnay shows the influence of the unusually cool season. The flavour moves down the varietal spectrum, from the stone-fruit flavours of the warmer 2010 vintage, towards lemon and melon rind. And the alcohol declines from 13.5 per cent in 2010 to 12.5 per cent. With the flavour change comes the pleasing impact of higher acidity – all against the equally pleasing textural and flavour influences of barrel fermentation and maturation.

Cumulus Wines Chardonnay 2009 $30
Orange, NSW
Winemaker Debbie Lauritz used all the best chardonnay making techniques on this pleasing wine – only free-run juice, fermentation with both wild and cultured yeasts in new French oak barriques, lees stirring and partial malolactic fermentation. Free-run juice means a fine texture and intense fruit flavour. All the other bits mesh aroma, texture and flavour with that fruit. Add a couple of years’ age and we get a full-flavoured chardonnay (grapefruit and white peach varietal character), a honeyed, mature note and a vibrantly fresh, richly textured palate.

Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $35
Dead Morris and Walker Vineyards, Coonawarra, South Australia
Balnaves cabernet appeals for the power of its tannin coated varietal flavours – reminiscent of blackcurrant and black olives. Despite its power, the wine’s elegantly structured and capable of ageing well. Its cellar companion, The Tally 2009 ($90), seems even more tight-knit and concentrated, requiring years in the cellar – a big, elegant, multi-dimensional red, firmly in five-star territory. Both wines are sealed with ‘Pro Cork’, a natural cork protected by a thin polymer membrane, like a wrinkled old skin over the cork.

Balnaves Shiraz 2009 $24–$27
Balnaves vineyard, southern Coonawarra, South Australia
In 2009 winemaker Pete Bissell included a small amount of the white variety viognier in the shiraz ferment – much as Clonakilla and other Canberra producers do. The addition fits subtly with the Coonawarra wine, perhaps adding to the silkiness of the texture giving a little boost to the sweet aroma. A hefty 14.5 per cent alcohol doesn’t subtract, however, from the wine’s elegant structure. While the influence of oak is apparent, it’s totally compatible with the fruit flavours and adds to the wine’s overall appeal.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 6 June 2012 in The Canberra Times and Fairfax online publications

Balnaves of Coonawarra Chardonnay 2011 $26–$28
Balnaves makes a good chardonnay every year, a useful add-on to Coonawarra’s main game – reds. But could chardonnay upstage Balnaves’ reds in the cool 2011 vintage? The cool season accentuated the fruit flavour, shifting it towards the lemon and grapefruit end of the varietal spectrum. And the tingly acid backbone gives a special life and lift to a full-bodied yet elegant white. Winemaker Pete Bissell says he fermented it in oak barriques, about half of them new, using a combination of wild and cultured yeast. It should evolve well for another five or so years.

Balnaves of Coonawarra The Blend 2010 $19–$21
Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot 2010 $24
The Balnaves family produces several reds from its extensive Coonawarra vineyard holdings – ranging from these inexpensive blends to a cabernet sauvignon ($35) and The Tally, its flagship, at $90. ‘The Blend’ shows the lovely fragrance and elegance of merlot married with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc – the medium bodied palate reflects the aroma and leaves a farewell tweak of fine, but assertive tannin. The cabernet merlot blend delivers vibrant varietal berry flavours on a medium palate, with a quite strong, mouth-drying tannin structure (thank you cabernet).

Redbank King Valley Garganega 2010 $25
Garganega – the principal variety of Soave, the well-known savoury dry white from Soave, near Verona in Italy’s Veneto region – seems at home in Victoria’s little Italy, the King Valley. The Redbank winemakers fermented this, their first vintage, with wild yeast, matured it in older oak barrels and blended it with 10 per cent fiano, another Italian white. The resulting full-bodied dry white pleases with its melon rind and citrus flavours and pleasantly tart, firm finish. It’s a long way from our usual fare and worth trying.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 3 June 2012 in The Canberra Times

Coolangatta Estate Tempranillo 2009 $35
Coolangatta Estate vineyard, Shoalhaven Coast, New South Wales
In the Canberra Regional Show 2011, this wine top scored in its class, winning a gold medal and proceeding to the “other red varieties” trophy taste-off. The Canberra gong added to the gold medal and four trophies won in the 2010 Kiama Regional Wine Show. Like Coolangatta’s wonderful semillons, the tempranillo is estate grown but made in the Hunter Valley by Tyrrell’s – clearly a successful arrangement. This is a fresh, vibrant and medium-bodied tempranillo, seamlessly combining sweet and savoury fruit with soft, persistent tannins.

Coolangatta Estate Wollstonecraft Semillon 2011 $25
Coolangatta Wollstonecraft vineyard, Shoalhaven Coast, New South Wales
Coolangatta’s Ben Wallis says, “powdery and downy mildew are part of our life on the coast”, so in the cold, wet 2011 season, “we upped the ante in the vineyard”. The acidic grapes developed flavour ripeness very early in the cool conditions, but sugar levels lagged – the opposite of a normal year. Owner Greg Bishop and his team hand-picked the healthy fruit, shipping it to Tyrrell’s for vinification. The resulting wine presents rich, lemony varietal flavours cut with the season’s tart, bracing acidity. It’s slightly rounder than you’d expect in a cool season, 11 per-cent-alcohol wine, but it’s definitely built for ageing.

Silos Estate Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2010 $22.50–$25
Silo Estate vineyard, Berry, Shoalhaven Coast, New South Wales
The estate, located near Berry, grows seven grape varieties, including chardonnay, in its five-hectare vineyard. Looking young and fresh at two years, the 2010 chardonnay – fermented spontaneously by wild yeasts – shows fresh citrus and melon rind varietal characters. The palate’s medium bodied and smoothly textured with an underlying nutty character, derived from maturation on yeast lees following fermentation. The vines are hand pruned and the grapes hand picked.

Cullen Diana Madeline 2010 $115
Cullen vineyard, Margaret River, Western Australia
Like Penfolds Bin 707 reviewed on 9 May, Cullen Diana Madeline enjoys a cellaring potential measured in decades, not years. But the wines contrast starkly in style. Bin 707 shows an impenetrably dark, powerful face of cabernet – overwhelmingly dense and tannic as a young wine but becoming increasingly elegant as the decades pass by. Cullen is limpid and approachable on release – a wine of delicate violet-like aroma and seductive, subtle, supple, fine-grained palate. It’s a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot malbec and cabernet franc, planted forty years ago by winemaker Vanya Cullen’s parents, Kevin John and Diana Madeline.

Bathe Wines Pinot Noir 2011 $33
Tamar Valley and Coal River Valley, Tasmania
This callow newcomer to the busy wine scene rushes to the market barely a year out of the vineyard. Brash and exuberant on first opening, it becomes a more complete pinot after a long aeration. It’s light to medium bodied, with bright varietal fruit flavour, a stalky note (courtesy of whole bunches in the ferment) and, most importantly, a silky mid-palate. Jeremy Dineen of Joseph Chromy Wines made it for Bathe Wines, owned by John Harvey. It’s available at www.bathewines.com.au

Massale by Kooyong Pinot Noir 2011 $22.70–$30
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Sandro Mosele’s new release stood out in a recent tasting, wedged between Alex McKay and Nick O’Leary’s attractive Bourke Street Tumbarumba pinot and a very strange beast indeed from Savaterre, Beechworth. Mosele’s wine shows the light body and high acid of the cool season. But therein lies the appeal. Mosele hasn’t tried to prop the wine up with winemaking artifice. We taste pure and delicious raspberry-like varietal flavour on a shimmering fresh palate, supported by lean, tight tannins.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 30 May 2012 in The Canberra Times