WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Selbach Riesling (Fish Label) 2016, Mosel, Germany $16.99 | 89/100
UPC: 00717215001707 What does one say about the 2016 vintage in Germany? Balance, balance, balance — perhaps best expressed by well-known U.S. commentator and importer Thierry Theise, who says the vintage is “neither a fruit driven, nor floral driven, nor mineral driven, nor acid driven vintage — it is all of these.” In the case of this friendly Selbach blend of Mosel sites, there is a touch less electricity or bright acidity in 2016 but there is more weight and flavour. It’s still juicy with ripe nectarine flavours and a drizzle of lemon making it eminently enjoyable right now. Oh, and you can pair it with anything.
Mission Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Okanagan Valley
$21.49 I 90/100
UPC: 776545995209
The Mission Hill Reserve Series is crazy excellent value, and each year it simply outdoes the previous version. Case in point, the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc. Multiple pick times bring a vibrancy and freshness to this wine. Some 20 per cent of the wine spends time in oak and concrete (split about 50/50) while the balance remains on its lees in stainless steel. Look for a tropical pineapple, citrus nose that previews a taut, dry, lemon grass, lime palate and finishes with a creamy, sagebrush-scented note. Impressive value. Shellfish anyone?
Feudo Maccari Nero d’Avola 2016, Sicily, Italy
$17.99 I 89/100
UPC: 8033011200673
A savoury, soft red-fruited red with an appealing nose and an even more appealing texture. The fruit is from
17- to 39-year-old bush vines that grow little more than a kilometre from the Mediterranean. The attack is round, juicy and fresh with ripe cherry fruit flecked with licorice and dried herbs and a perfect amount of acidity. Think lamb stew or chops, a favourite pork dish or open as a versatile party red.
Edoardo Miroglio Mavrud and Rubin Bio 2016, Thracian Valley, Bulgaria $18.99 I 87/100
UPC: 3800213973316
The organically grown and certified Mavrud and Rubin grapes combine 3,000 years (Mavrud) and 60-plus years (Rubin) of indigenous growth in Bulgaria. You can expect a fresh, terroir-scented nose with cherries and currants. The wine is aged for about six months in large oak botti and Bulgarian oak barrels, adding some texture and weight and just a hint of wood to the mix. The attack is juicy and fresh with intriguing earthy crancherry/red currant that fades into a forest floor finish. Ready to drink. Think sophisticated but affordable pizza/barbecue/ party wine.
Langmeil Shiraz Valley
Floor 2015, Barossa Valley, South Australia
$29.99 I 89/100
UPC: 667800020753
Six generations of farming give us fleshy, silky, valley floor Shiraz that is packed full of potent black fruit and sweet blueberries lined with cracked pepper to the finish. It’s an older style with some acidity poking through the back end, but it’s still admired by many. Smoky, charred meat from the grill is the match here to take on the alcohol and weight of the Barossa fruit.