Well Red

The latest and greatest releases of Australian red wine.

Midwinter is the perfect time for some serious red wine. Fortunately, Australian red has never been so good. Quality wines are being made across the country in myriad styles and forms. Some of our best wines come from our smallest producers, and many of their names may be unfamiliar. Let me introduce you to some of the best red wines I’ve tried in recent months.

If you’re after a light, affordable, easydrinking drop, seek out the 2016 Riposte The Dagger Pinot Noir, $20, which offers snappy berry flavours along with a highly perfumed nose. Also excellent is the 2016 Logan Weemala Pinot Noir, $20, with its lovely sweet-sour cherry flavours.

Grenache is a great variety to choose if you want intense flavours without the heaviness or structure of a full-bodied wine. The 2015 Zonte’s Footstep Love Symbol, $25, from McLaren Vale is soft and fragrant, with delicious strawberry and mulberry notes. For something truly special, try the poised and intense 2015 Henschke Johann’s Garden, $56. This one is predominately grenache, with splashes of mataro and shiraz blended in.

It’s always good to be reminded about cabernet sauvignon, a variety that can sometimes be forgotten. Admittedly, it can be hard to find good cabernet as they’re often a little tough when young. With five years of age, however, the 2012 Huntington Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, $26, is a plush and delicious singlevineyard wine with a gorgeous rustic vein.

Shiraz is always a popular favourite. If you’re searching for something full and luscious, open a bottle of the 2015 Oliver’s Taranga Shiraz, $30, which is brimming with juicy dark fruits, licorice and chocolate. If you prefer something more medium-bodied, on the other hand, the 2015 Cumulus Climbing Shiraz, $20, from the Orange wine region of NSW, is an elegantly proportioned drop that features succulent mulberry fruit.