Our top drinks for the month, including mataro, malbec, tempranillo, pinot noir and more.
2012 Mitchell Harris Mataro, Pyrenees, Vic, $28
2012 Mitchell Harris Mataro, Pyrenees, Vic, $28
I haven’t tasted mataro from Victoria’s Pyrenees before, but after trying this one, I’d love to taste more: as well as the inky blackcurrants and dried herbs I’d expect from this region, there’s also plenty of unusually dark, sinewy, tannin. mitchellharris.com.au
2014 Olive Hill Sémillon, Barossa Valley, SA, $28
2014 Olive Hill Sémillon, Barossa Valley, SA, $28
I like the reds from Burge Family Winemakers in the Barossa, but the wine that I keep coming back to for another glass (and another) is this wonderful unoaked sémillon, with its bright, crisp, moreish lemony fruit and dry, powdery finish.
2012 Yalumba Galway Malbec, Barossa Valley, SA, $18
2012 Yalumba Galway Malbec, Barossa Valley, SA, $18
Galway is one of Australia’s oldest labels. I have fond memories of tasting a Galway “Claret” from the 1940s. To celebrate this history, Yalumba has released this brilliant (and underpriced) malbec: dark purple fruit, long grippy tannins.
2014 Ravensworth Seven Months, Canberra District, NSW, $35
2014 Ravensworth Seven Months, Canberra District, NSW, $35
An extended skin-contact blend of pinot gris, gewürz and riesling with tantalising, subtle spice, fabulous finesse and focus. I also like the 2014 Grainery ($35), a savoury blend of marsanne, roussanne, viognier and chardonnay. ravensworthwines.com.au
Domaine Johanna Cécillon Cidre Nerios, Brittany, France, $35
Domaine Johanna Cécillon Cidre Nerios, Brittany, France, $35
If you like traditional French cider, with its deep-golden colour and rich, complex, rustic flavours, you’ll love the ciders of Johanna Cécillon. This is my pick of the range: it’s packed with the perfumed, chewy tang of ripe gnarly windfall apples.
2012 Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, $85
2012 Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, $85
From a good vintage and from one of the best producers in the southern Rhône, this is a stunning, powerful, polished red wine: deep flavours of macerated red and black fruit, wrapped up in a majestic sweep of garrigue-scented tannin. vintageandvine.com
2015 Gemtree Luna Temprana Tempranillo, McLaren Vale, SA, $18
2015 Gemtree Luna Temprana Tempranillo, McLaren Vale, SA, $18
This early-bottled tempranillo has oodles of gorgeous seductive slurpy black fruit and a gentle hug of grippy tannin. The 2014 Luna Roja Tempranillo ($25), which spends a little longer in oak, is also terrific: spicier, prettier, more refined. gemtreewines.com
2015 Coriole Picpoul, McLaren Vale, SA, $25
2015 Coriole Picpoul, McLaren Vale, SA, $25
The first locally made version of the seafood-friendly southern French white grape picpoul I’ve tasted and I really like it: as well as the grape’s trademark lemony acidity there’s a touch of mouth-filling perfumed richness, too. coriole.com
2013 Stefano Lubiana Pinot Noir, Tas, $55
2013 Stefano Lubiana Pinot Noir, Tas, $55
The twentieth vintage for Steve and Monique Lubiana at their vineyard on the Derwent and the first harvest under biodynamic certification produced this outstanding pinot: really elegant and poised, with an undertow of undergrowth.
Wicked Elf Porter, Port Macquarie, NSW, 330ml, $6
Wicked Elf Porter, Port Macquarie, NSW, 330ml, $6
As we plough through the colder months I always stock up on a few dark beers; this is one I reach for every time I see it on the shelf at the bottle-o: lovely dark black colour, deep brown head, rich flavours of chocolate, hazelnuts and malt. thelittlebrewingcompany.com.au
