NEW TRIO FOR GRAMPIANS ESTATE

Other than fair dinkum sparkling reds, your spritzy cabernet merlot was certainly not the winemaker’s intention. In this instance, the harmless culprit is carbon dioxide (CO2) and, understandably, you found it off-putting because it wasn’t what you were expecting; it should not have been in the wine. Nothing nefarious, though: during fermentation, alcohol and CO2 are produced and normally for still wine, the latter is expelled before bottling. As you encountered, some was imprisoned in your bottle. no different, with chardonnay suffering an indignity more than most. There isn’t a demarcation between traditional and modern styles. Big, rich, oaky and often over-worked chardonnay became the norm back in the

’80s and ’90s to compensate, in part, to young vines (a variety still in its infancy here) while adhering to a style everyone was making, from California to New Zealand. Aussie winemakers knew no better. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and the experimentation to achieve more restraint did lead some to go too far in the other direction, producing little more than battery acid. “Where’s the flavour,” we screamed. Today, the story is very different. While chardonnay is Australia’s most widely planted white grape, found in all sorts of regions from hot (oh dear) to cold and everything in between, this fabulous variety needs a cooler climate and attention to detail in the winemaking to truly excel. So please sit down to take this news: those fat, buttery styles have gone – you might have to stick to California. But believe me, Australian chardonnay has never been better and maybe it’s time to break the shackles of a bygone era and discover what’s out there. There are many richer, textural and flavoursome chardonnays you will love. As a general guide, seek out those made with malolactic fermentation, aged in new French oak, with lees stirring or left on lees. I’ve listed some great wines I’ve tried recently, their prices varying. Importantly, I love these fuller wines – they have flavour as much as finesse. Over to you, and happy tasting!

– 2018 Giaconda, Beechworth – 2018 Eldorado Road,

Beechworth

– 2018 Pierro, Margaret River – 2018 Arlewood, Margaret River – 2018 Higher Plane Forest

Grove, Margaret River

– 2018 Cherubino

Dijon, Karridale

– 2019 Cherubino Ad Hoc

Hen & Chicken, Pemberton – 2019 Rosenthal The Marker,

Pemberton

– 2019 Bleasdale, Adelaide Hills

Exceptional cabernet sauvignon, Australian elixirs such as

Cullen Diana Madeline, Yarra Yering Carrodus or Wynns John Riddoch, do make the world seem a better place. Its people, too. But it’s all fleeting. Reality returns at the end of the bottle. As you know, there is neither a cure nor a vaccine for COVID-19 as yet. Only scientists can defeat the virus. Until then, and long after, cabernet will ease the pain.

Yes, although you could open it and prove me wrong!

Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has released Ponting Wines, which have been made in collaboration with Ben Riggs of McLaren Vale’s Mr Riggs. The new range comprises a chardonnay and a pinot noir from Ricky’s home state of Tasmania, a McLaren Vale shiraz, and a Langhorne Creek cabernet sauvignon. Victoria’s Grampians Estate has released a trio of wines from the 2019 vintage with its Sheep Series, which connect to the family’s long history in the wool industry. They include the Grampians Estate Sheep Series Field’s Crossing Grenache, the Woolclasser’s GST, and the Longest Drive Tempranillo, $28 each.