Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2019 (1)

2017 Samuel’s

Gorge Grenache,

McLaren Vale, $40

The 2017 reds are the finest

I can remember tasting

from this top producer. The

grenache is gorgeously

spicy, perfumed, vibrant

and elegant; the meaty,

firm 2017 mourvèdre is

brilliant, too. gorge.com.au

2017 Paracombe

Tempranillo,

Adelaide Hills, $22

Far be it from me to suggest

Paracombe put their prices

up, but 22 bucks is a

bargain for a tempranillo

of this quality: licorice-y

bramble fruit, fine, elegant,

tongue-hugging tannins.

paracombewines.com

ArchieRoseVirginCane

Rhum,Sydney,$199

Whata début.Carryinga

bold 56.8 per cent alcohol,

this packs a punch, but

since it’s made from sugar

cane juice (rather than the

molasses used in most

Aussie rum) the flavours are

more floral, spicy and

complex. archierose.com.au

2008 Stefano Lubiana

Grande Vintage,

Tasmania, $80

Youlikely don’t need to

beconvinced about late-

disgorged fizz, but just

in case, here’s another

outstanding example:

creamy, with hazelnut

flavours and a bright

citrusy core. slw.com.au

2018 Jamsheed

Roussanne,

Beechworth, $32

I love the rich whites

that the roussanne grape

produces. This one from

the Warner Vineyard is

terrific: perfumed yellow

peach juice flavours

and satisfying texture.

jamsheed.com.au

for having a wine cellar is Christmas. It’s that one day

of the year when everyone expects the “wine guy” in

the family to bring out the special bottles, so I make

sure I have all my cellaring bases covered.

Last Christmas we kicked off with Champagne that

had spent a couple of years maturing: I’m a big fan

of short-term cellaring when it comes to top-quality

sparkling wine and rosé – I’ve found even a short

spell in a cool, dark place can soften the sharp edges

and help these styles of wine taste more harmonious.

Then, after a few bottles of obligatory mature

riesling, we had some older sparkling red with turkey

and cranberry sauce. I love this classic Australian

wine style after a decade or more in the cellar. The

rich, sweet purple-fruit flavour changes into the

most beautiful array of savoury, earthy, meaty, dark-

chocolate characters.

But before you rush out and stock up on heaps

of riesling, cool-climate cabernet and sparkling red,

you need to be sure that you like the flavour of these

wines – or any other wines – when they’re older. Not

everyone does. Many people prefer to drink wines

when they’re first released and full of fresh fruit.

So, it’s worth investing a little time and money

into this process of discovery: look online for older

vintages of wines or styles you’re familiar with

(wine-searcher.com is a great place to start), or seek

out a good merchant who specialises in aged wines.

Buy one or two bottles and try them. If you fall in

love with the flavours you find, then great: if not,

you’ve saved yourself a lot of money, time and effort. ●

IR

HC

R

ED

US

AG

R^

BA

BY

CI

Y

RG

EN

AC

TS

PE

AC

AT

SS

IE

FI

ZZ

Top drops of the month

PS

CI

Y

NA

CH

E

hi R Vi i C

UJ

TS

PE

AC

HY

GOURMET TRAVELLER 37