Hooke’s top 10 from the Adelaide Hills
Daosa, Blanc de Blancs, Piccadilly Valley 2012 93 N/A UK www.terreaterre.com. au A powerful, oak-tinged wine which has spent five years on lees following fermentation and ageing in seasoned foudre. Coconutty, toasty Chardonnay fruit aromas with creamy lees influences. Crisp and very dry to taste thanks to low dosage, it’s refined and long with refreshing acidity to finish. Drink 2018-2022 Alcohol 12.5%
Deviation Road, Loftia Vintage Brut 2015 93 £24.99 (2012) Berkmann A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The colour is light rose-gold and it has aromas of toffee apple, meringue and smoky vanilla. Open-knit and full palate with apple and yeast-developed flavours. The acidity is fresh and crisp, cleansing the finish and aftertaste. A wine of superb purity. Drink 2018-2022 Alc 12.5%
Tapanappa, Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay 2016 97 £39-£46 Edencroft, Hailsham Cellars, Lay & Wheeler, Nickolls & Perks, Noble Green, The Champagne Co Bright nougat, toasted almond and cashew aromas. The palate is intense and refreshingly crisp, with concentrated lemon and citrus fruit, plus tremendous refinement. This has sustained power, the flavours lingering long after the wine has gone. Drink 2018-2031 Alc 13.5%
Murdoch Hill, Artisan Series, The Tilbury Chardonnay 2016 96 £48.99 Eurowines Smoky, lightly reductive bouquet with underlying peach and other stone-fruit aromas, mixed spices and a dash of honey. Intense and full-bodied palate, rich and yet refined, with a long and satisfying finish.
Drink 2018-2027 Alc 13%
Sidewood, Mappinga Chardonnay 2016 95 £ 18.95 Davy’s A fresh, refined and quietly intense bouquet that is restrained but complex. It doesn’t rely on oak or artifact but has plenty of detail. Subtle depths to the palate, with lemon and other citrus nuances leading. A fine wine and outstanding value.
Drink 2018-2028 Alc 12.5%
Geoff Hardy, K1 Gruner Veltliner 2017 92 £ 17 Chapel Down’s Great Minds Drink Alike The aromas of pepper and green herbs are attractive and authentically Gruner. White pepper sprinkled on cucumber. Tangy and fresh, crisp and alive on the tongue, if a fraction straightforward. A deliciously refreshing and appetising dry white. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 12%
Hahndorf Hill, Gru Gruner Veltliner 2017 92 £ 23.99-£ 25.99 Connolly’s, Ex- Cellar, Gorey Wine Cellars, Hailsham Cellars, Just in Cases, Oz Wines, The Oxford Wine Co, The Salusbury Wine Store With its light greenish yellow colour and fresh, lifted but discreet aroma evoking fresh herbs with lemon and floral notes, this is full of character yet simultaneously restrained and delicate. The taste is finely textured and crisp, with a subtle lemonjuicy touch to the finish and aftertaste. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 13%
Longview Vineyard, The Piece Shiraz 2015 96 £45 Oddbins With its intense, earthy, dry spice aromas, this wine is sweet-fruited and lush. A voluminous, almost opulent Shiraz, and appealing with a sweet cool-grown fruit core spicy aromatics. Combines intensity with elegance. Excellent palate drive and good length. Drink 2018-2035 Alc 14.5%
Ochota Barrels, I Am The Owl Syrah 2015 95 £ 38.60 The Australian Cellar The dusty earth, nutty oak and dry spice aromas are rich and meaty, embracing obvious but well-managed whole-bunch influences. The palate is bright and fresh, medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a core of fruit sweetness. A spicy cool-grown Syrah that drinks beautifully in youth. Drink 2018-2030 Alc 13%
Shaw & Smith, Shiraz 2015 95 £ 23.30-£ 31 Exel, Highbury Vintners, Liberty Wines, Noel Young, Oz Wines, The Wine Reserve Bouquet loaded with blood plum, raspberry and black cherry aromas, and high notes of pepper and spice. Excellent flavour intensity, seamless texture and smooth, gentle tannins. Oak is barely perceptible. A modern, fresh, fruitdriven style. Drink 2018-2030 Alc 14.5%