The “weird stuff” tab on Ravensworth’s website opens the magic wardrobe into Canberra’s Narnia of weird, whacky and new wines. This new world belongs to Ravensworth winemaker Bryan Martin and a handful of Canberra winemakers who, like Martin, step nimbly back and forth through the wardrobe, between mainstream winemaking and the new and weird stuff … Continue reading A guide to Canberra’s weird and wonderful wines
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – wine of the week Moss Wood vineyard, Wilyabrup, Margaret River, Western Australia $95–$125 Moss Wood cabernet rates among Australia’s greatest wines. It’s of a quality Hemingway surely had in mind when he wrote, “Wine is one of the most civilised things in the world and one of the most … Continue reading Wine review – Moss Wood, Grove Estate, Lerida Estate, Mr Riggs, Mount Monster, Greywacke
Mount Horrocks Watervale Semillon 2015 $25–$30 Stephanie Toole’s semillon takes us a world away from the more austere, lemony-tart Hunter Valley styles. Picked early, often achieving only 10 or 11 per cent alcohol, and fermented without oak, the Hunter style generally need years to flesh out, then do so delightfully. Mount Horrocks is harvested riper … Continue reading Wine review – Mount Horrocks, Yering Station, Katnook
Four Winds Vineyard Shiraz 2015 – wine of the week Four Winds, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW $30 Graeme and Suzanne Lunney planted Four Winds vineyard in 1998 during a period of rapid wine industry expansion, driven by Hardys’ arrival in Canberra. Two daughters and their husbands now run the business: Sarah and John Collingwood manage … Continue reading Wine review – Four Winds, Bit O Heaven, Angullong, Ross Hill, West Cape Howe
Best’s Great Western Foudre Riesling 2015 Best’s Concongella Vineyard, Great Western, Grampians, Victoria $35 In 2012 as Adam Wadewitz handed over winemaking to Justin Purser, a 2500-litre oak vat showed up in Best’s winery, to the surprise of owner Viv Thomson. As best they could, the winemakers scoured the new, woody flavour from the foudre … Continue reading Wine review – Best’s, Clonakilla, Ross Hill, Rymill, Ad Hoc
Mount Tumbarumba On the Fly Pinot Noir 2013 (wine of the week) Mt Tumbarumba vineyard, Tumbarumba, NSW $25 In the early 90s Richard Cottam and Elvie Yates planted chardonnay and pinot noir vines on Cottam family land in Tumbarumba. Though working full time in Canberra, they managed the vineyard and found buyers for the fruit … Continue reading Wine review – Mount Tumbarumba, Wily Trout, McKellar Ridge, Oakridge, West Cape Howe
Hungerford Hill Classic Tumbarumba Pinot Noir 2014 $26–$36 An Anzac weekend sweep through Batlow and Tumbarumba turned up several appealing wines. Batlow, of course, makes apple cider, while Tumbarumba, originally planted to vines for sparkling wines, now makes appealing, elegant table wines, too. Tumbarumba’s Café Nest–movie theatre offers fresh local produce, some grown on site, … Continue reading Wine review – Hungerford Hill, Mount Tumbarumba, Coppabella
Clonakilla Ceoltoiri 2015 Clonakilla vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW $45 Clonakilla’s push into Rhone Valley wine styles began with shiraz and now extends into varieties once thought to be too late ripening for the Canberra climate. However, in warm seasons like 2015, grenache, mourvedre and cinsault ripen fully and join shiraz in the fragrant, light-coloured … Continue reading Wine review – Clonakilla, Craggy Range, Tate, Yalumba, Jacob’s Creek
Andrew Thomas Déjà Vu Hunter Valley Shiraz 2014 $30 Hunter winemakers rate the warm, dry 2014 vintage as one of the best in living memory – some compare it to the now legendary 1965 season. Andrew Thomas reckons it’s the best of his 30 vintages in the area. The season produced notably fuller bodied wines … Continue reading Wine review – Andrew Thomas, Sandalford, Oakridge
Canberra vignerons rarely see two consecutive high quantity, high quality vintages as they have in 2015 and 2016. But just how good 2016 quality is depends on who you ask. Ken Helm of Helms Wine, Murrumbateman, writes, “The 2016 vintage was the earliest and hottest season on record, but looks like equaling the great 2015, … Continue reading Canberra vintage 2016 – two good years in a row