Top drinks of the month: September 2015

2015 Eden Hall Grüner Veltliner

The first grüner veltliner from the Eden Valley, and it’s a cracker – not surprising, really: the region is renowned for aromatic whites. Crisp, riesling-like perfume, followed by distinctive green honeydew melon-rind texture on the tongue. Eden Hall, Eden Valley, SA, $35

2013 Zorah Karasì

Here’s one for your wine-geek friends: made from the ancient Armenian indigenous red grape areni noir, grown near a 13th-century monastery, it tastes of tangy wild hedgerow berries and tangled undergrowth. Armenia, $62, cellarhand.com.au

2012 Fighting Gully Road Aglianico

Grown in a vineyard high on the edge of the Beechworth escarpment, this is a fabulous example of the aglianico grape – cultivated largely in southern Italy: plush purple hue, some dried herb and tight berry flavour, and fine, long, grippy tannin. Beechworth, Vic, $40, fightinggully.com.au

2013 Vigna Bottin Versecco

If you like prosecco, track down a bottle of this. It’s not made with the prosecco grape – it’s made with vermentino – but it’s more authentically prosecco in style than most Aussie proseccos that are made from prosecco. Confused? Just try it. McLaren Vale, SA, $35, vignabottin.com.au

2013 Alfredo Maestro Tejero el Marciano

Alfredo Maestro sources grapes from tiny old vineyards and uses minimal intervention to produce small batches of vibrant wines. This high-altitude garnacha is stunning: funky spice and black fruit, tightly wound, intense grip. Madrid, Spain, $38, bibendum.com.au

2013 Ruckus Estate Mérité Merlot

From a vineyard planted with new merlot clones and made by Sue Bell of Bellwether in Coonawarra, this is an impressively elegant, perfumed wine – little red berries, aniseed and cinnamon – that should age gracefully in the cellar. Wrattonbully, SA, $50, ruckusestate.com

2014 Wirra Wirra Original Blend Grenache Shiraz

While hipster somms and indie bottle-os go ga-ga for new wave, smashable, spicy South Oz grenache blends, it’s nice to be reminded that some wineries have been producing this style, on and off, for decades. McLaren Vale, SA, $25, wirrawirra.com

2013 Patrick Piuze Terroir de Chichée

Sometimes I get a hankering for Chablis: a thirst for pure, unadulterated chardonnay deliciousness, a white wine to make me feel refreshed and alive. This fits the bill nicely: vibrant, lemony, intense and pristine. Bring on the oysters. Chablis, France, $42, domainewineshippers.com.au

2013 Baileys Organic Shiraz

The 143-hectare Baileys vineyard in north-east Victoria is now certified organic: farmed again, in many ways, as it was a century ago. This terrific shiraz is a relatively restrained, spicy expression of the traditional gutsy Baileys style. Glenrowan, Vic, $28, baileysofglenrowan.com.au

St-Agnes Grand Reserve 40-Year-Old XO Brandy

A bold statement of confidence in the quality and heritage of Australian brandy, this luxuriously packaged spirit, with its 24-carat gold trim, is exquisite: powerful lingering flavours of spiced candied orange and sweet smoky wood. 700ml, $800, stagnesdistillery.com.au