David Sly.

Wine writer

Saperavi from

Hugh Hamilton Wines

I love to use the cellar to experiment and explore the merits of varieties and styles I’m not so familiar with to see how they travel through time. With this in mind, I’m keen to see how these big, burly, tannic saperavi wines will look over the next five to 10 years. There are three: The Quirky, made in Georgia; The Oddball from McLaren Vale fruit; and Oddball

The Great, a reserve style from 2014. All look set to benefit significantly from time in the cellar.

2014 Bellwether Chardonnay

The changing style of Australian chardonnay has made it a much more intriguing cellaring option, with the best boasting solid structure and a rigid acid skeleton to ensure longevity. This one recently shook my tree, sourced by winemaker Sue Bell from Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. Already released with age, it promises to go a lot further. Let’s see how far.

Clare and Eden Valley rieslings

I’m a riesling freak, having been turned onto the seduction of aged beauties many decades ago. I’m always trying to stop myself from drinking all the new releases to hide some in the cellar to make comparisons in the years that follow. I want some dust on any mix of the best bottles from Clare or Eden Valley – Watervale versus Polish Hill River by Shut the Gate or Grosset, or Jim Barry’s Florita versus Lodge Hill, or Vickery’s Watervale versus Eden Valley. So many delicious choices!