There are but two winemakers who can lay claim to a staggering four Jimmy Watson Trophy victories. Wolf Blass was the man behind the label. John Glaetzer was the man behind Wolf Blass. While working for Wolf, Glaetzer was moonlighting on his own brand, applying the same extravagance of technique to the pick of Langhorne Creek fruit. Perfection in the form of black bramble fruit, muscular yet affable tannins, all framed by the luxury of ebony oak. Aspirants of the great Black Blass Label fables of 1974, 1975 and 1976, are privately advised to avail themselves of John's Blend, Cabernet or Shiraz. Crafted from the same parcels, in the same way, by the same hands, that collaborated to create, the most celebrated triumphs in the history of our nation's highest accolade, thrice..
Timeless mystique of langhorne creek»
One of our nation's enduring winemaking dynasties, the Hamiltons planted vines just outside Adelaide in 1837. Great grandson Sydney Hamilton was a legendary and innovative viticulturalist, he ultimately made his own oenological conversion to the sacred Terra Rosa soils of Coonawarra in 1974, establishing one of Australia's most distinguished vineyards on a highly auspicious site, naming the property after forebear Lord Leconfield. An exceptional value for Cabernet of its class, presaged by a vigorously perfumed berry punnet nose, syrup textured, stately and refined, Leconfield makes a compelling..
What the doctor recommends in good red wine»
Lovely savoury, red cherry flavours, ripe red and black currants over a background of oak, supported by a length of fine grained tannins. There's never much Hunter Valley Shiraz around but it always represents an engaging experience in elegance and style, especially if... More»
Lees stirring bran meal characters add texture to the laden palate, layered with fresh citrus and stone fruit flavours supported by perfect acidity. Enter Brokenwood's response to the modern day enthusiasm for finely structured Chardonnay with more balance, lower phenolics and timely oak... More»
The fruit is complexed by lemon curd, aromatic cedar and cashew notes. Wirra Wirra patriarch Greg Trott venerated cricket as the most noble of pursuits... More»
Touches of cedary oak and some complex pine needle and herbal nuances add to the appeal of the bouquet. The late, great Greg Trott, patriarch of Wirra Wirra, saw many of his unusual dreams realised, such as the construction... More»
Fine textural palate of apple and strawberry flavours, licorice anise, rosehip and turkish delifgt, over a length of drying tealeaf tannins. After much time spent travelling throughout the premiere viticole de France, Mike and Mrs Press fell in love with the... More»
A multi layered palate of wild piquant raspberries, red licorice wick and frais de bois, dark anise tannins and sasafras oak in support of the textural, weight of fruit. Dan Buckle and Aaron Drummond are Mornington born and bred... More»
Clonakilla are one of our nation's most eminent vineyard wineries, a tiny production operation, established by a CSIRO scientist at Murrumbateman, very near Canberra. It turned out to be a fortuitous planting, with a climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux and northern Rhone, the Clonakilla property now occupies a rank next to the mighty Grange on the prestigious Exceptional Langtons Classification, it yields vintages of Australia's most invaluable Shiraz. At $26.99, the estate's entry level belies its stature and excellence within the pantheon of great Australian wine, an essential experience this week for all enthusiasts, a canny choice for shrewd and judicious aspirants of elite new world Shiraz...
Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»
Kooyong Estate only make limited editions from tiny blocks of vine, a hectare or less, which yield deeply personal wines, highly eloquent of their terroir, aspect and clime. There are the pebbled ironstone soils of Farrago, which create an uncannily Burgundesque style of Chardonnay, redolent of grapefruits, mealy bran and wet flint. The precious half hectare at Faultline articulates the savouryness of seaweed and struck match. The sheltered lee of Haven Block encourages the grapes to bloom with chewy red jube characters. The windswept parcel at Meres infuses wonderfully perfumed rhubarb and ribena notes into a velvetine tannin structure. All are equally remarkable for their individuality, they speak of little places, husbanded to artisanal winemaking practices, the most wonderful expressions of Mornington...
Venerable vintages from the most precious parcels»