TOP DROPS OF THE MONTH
SPECIAL SCOTCH
Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX, Scotland, $140 One of two new whiskies in Glenfiddich’s Experimental series (the other is matured in IPA craft-beer casks), this is a blend of 20 barrels from the Glenfiddich stocks selected by 20 whisky experts: rich and expressive. glenfiddich.com
REVIVAL WHITE
2015 Tripe Iscariot Absolution Wilyabrup Chenin Blanc, Margaret River, WA, $32 A new label from South African-born winemaker Remi Guise, making chenin blanc the hero. This is an intense, candied citron-flavoured expression of the grape; he also has a leaner, chalkier chenin from the Karridale subregion. tripeiscariot.com
FISH FRIENDLY
2016 Fox Gordon Charlotte’s Web Pinot Grigio, Adelaide Hills, SA, $23 Fox Gordon is a particularly reliable label for white wines that combine easy, appealing refreshment with substance. This lovely, crunchy pinot grigio is crying out for grilled fish. foxgordon.com.au
SAVVY SAVVY
2016 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, $30 A scintillating, vibrant, satisfying expression of Marlborough sav. The
RRP is $30; I’ve seen it as low as $22: a bargain. And they don’t make a big deal about it, but Dog Point’s vineyards are now certified organic. Imported by redandwhite.com.au
CELLAR THIS
2014 R Lane Vintners Westgate Vineyard Syrah, Great Western, Vic, $75 Winemaker Rory Lane’s homage to the wonderful age-worthy Great Western reds from the past. It has deep, brooding flavours of macerated berries and earthy, mouth-coating, savoury tannins; it’ll age superbly well for many years. thestory.com.au
MUSK AND PEAR
2016 Quealy Amphora Friulano, Mornington Peninsula, Vic, $25 While this is Friulano – a grape originally from north-east Italy – fermented and matured in amphora, it reminds me of the barrel-aged viogniers Kathleen Quealy used to make: exotically, seductively musk-perfumed and deliciously pear-juicy. quealy.com.au
DRINK NOW
2015 Ingram Road Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Vic, $20 As I’m sure I’ve told you a squillion times, the 2015 vintage was a cracker in many regions in southern Victoria, producing a plethora of juicy, hugely enjoyable reds like this one: gorgeous cherry fruit, fine, silky, savoury tannin. helenshill.com.au
DRINK LATER
2015 Delamere Pinot Noir, Pipers Brook, Tas, $50 Yes, you could drink this elegant, refined, beautifully balanced pinot noir now – and you’d enjoy it a lot if you did. But I think it’ll also age beautifully over the next five years or more, developing more delicious, undergrowthy complexity. delamerevineyards.com.au
READY MADE
The Aussie Tipple Company The Negroni, Bathurst, NSW, 1 litre, $115 My pick of the four ready-made bottled cocktails in the Aussie Tipple range. Like the others – the Rum Old Fashioned, the Dry Martini and the White Rye Espresso Martini – this features all-Australian ingredients in a bright, tangy and punchy take on the classic drink. aussietipple.com
ONE-POT SCREAMER
2014 Boatrocker Banshee Barleywine, Braeside, Vic, 330ml, $25 This is magnificent – extreme in every way
(14 per cent alcohol, matured in whisky casks that once held Pedro Ximénez sherry), a concentrated mouthful of honeyed barley richness, but still remarkably balanced and drinkable. boatrocker.com.au