ROCK AND ROLLE
2016 Koerner “Rolle”,
Clare Valley, $35
Koerner is one of the rising
stars of the Clare; people
are raving about their
restrained, medium-bodied
reds, but I’m more impressed
by the whites, including
this richly savoury and
deeply satisfying rolle
(aka vermentino).
koernerwine.com.auSUPER FINE
2015 Dr Loosen Graacher
Himmelreich Riesling
Kabinett, Mosel, $50
This was the standout
riesling at a recent tasting
with Mosel legend Ernst
Loosen, and is everything
I want in a kabinett: green
apple and mineral water
refreshment, entrancing
prettiness and scintillating,
perfectly balanced acidity.
Imported by
cellarhand.com.auTEXTURAL WHITE
2016 Lo Stesso Fiano,
Heathcote, $35
The fifth vintage of this
delicious white – grown at
the Chalmers vineyard and
made at Jasper Hill – is, for
me, a benchmark for the
fiano grape variety in
Australia: rich, textural, nutty
and creamy on the tongue,
but fresh and spicy, too.
jasperhill.com.auIN THE HAND
Two Birds Pale Ale, Spotswood, $22
for six 330ml bottles
Never ones to follow convention, brewers
Danielle Allen and Jayne Lewis have
waited five years to release their first pale
(usually the first style to roll off most
crafty bottling lines) and it’s a bloody
ripper: bold, fruity and highly quaffable.
twobirdsbrewing.com.auLAYMEDOWN
2015 Mayford Tempranillo,
Alpine Valleys, $36
Most Australian tempranillos,
it’s fair to say, are drink-now
propositions: juicy, round,
soft-edged. This one has
long been an exception:
deep, dark fruit and
wonderful, grippy tannin
crying out for cellaring. And
2015 is the best vintage yet.
mayfordwines.comLANGUAGE WARNING
2016 Lino Ramble Blind
Man’s Bluff Bastardo, McLaren Vale, $30
Bastardo. Rather rude name. But a lovely grape from
which to make a vibrant, medium-weight red wine.
Especially if it’s grown in McLaren Vale and is guided
into bottle by the crew at Lino Ramble. Available
direct from the cellar.linoramble.com.auBITTER TWANG
CappellanoBarolo
Chinato, Piemonte,
$93 for 500ml
Yes, I know we did a big
feature on aromatised wines
(vermouths, quinquinas,
chinatos) a couple of issues
ago, but this one is so good
–sobitter,sofullofdark
herbal goodness, so twangy
on the tongue – I felt you
needed to be told about it.
Imported by
giorgiodemaria.comFOREST FLAVOURS
Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin, Byron Bay, $75
This excellent new gin features 26 botanicals,
18 of which are native to the Northern Rivers
and some of which are foraged in forest on
the Brook family farm. It’s bright, cool, full of
character and has a lovely sweet intensity.
capebyrondistillery.comREFRESHMENT FACTOR
2016 Singlefile Riesling,
Great Southern,$25
You know how sometimes,
on a warm afternoon, say,
or when you feel like a
pick-me-up, or just because
you’re thirsty, you get the
urge for a lively, citrusy
delicious young riesling?
Well, this is exactly the wine
that will satisfy that urge.
singlefilewines.comTOP DROPS OF
THE MONTH
WINE INSIDER: SARAH HAGAN, THE LONG APRON, QLD
Match of the moment?Carrot gnocchi with shellfish bisque, with La Petite Mort marsanne from Queensland.
Hardest pairing?The fish often follows a dish with a red wine, so it’s tricky. Skin-contact wines are fun – they
lean towards white in weight, but have the tannins and phenolic structure of a red. Winemakers to watch?
Dave Mackintosh at Arfion in the Yarra Valley. His Smokestack Lightning range is great fun: a skin-contact
sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer and pinot gris. What’s in your cellar? McLaren Vale reds I picked up
working there, and some New Zealand gems, like a magnum of Rockburn 2005 “Lost Barrel” Chardonnay.
The Long Apron, 68 Balmoral Rd, Montville, Qld, spicersretreats.com SAMANTHA TEAGUECLASSIC CAB
2015 Zonzo Cabernet Sauvignon,
Yarra Valley, $55
The début releases from this
reinvented Yarra estate includes this
wonderful cabernet: a classic expression of
the grape as grown in the central valley in a
great vintage – deep cassis and dried herbs,
and fine, per e tannin.
zonzo.com.aQ&A SARAH HAGAN
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