Chris Shanahan wine reviews
Tulloch Private BinDry Red Shiraz 2013
Lindemans Ben Ean vineyard, lower Hunter Valley, NSW
$50
Five-star/97
A memorable tasting in the late 1970s included three extraordinary Hunter reds from the great 1965 vintage – Lindemans Burgundy Bin 3100 (shiraz), Lindemans Burgundy Bin 3110 (shiraz–pinot noir) and Tullochs Dry Red (shiraz). All three kicked on for many years afterwards. But what has this to do with our wine of the week? Well, there's a direct link. Christine Tulloch says grapes for the 2013 vintage family flagship came "from the old Ben Ean vineyard, just down the road from our cellar door". The Ben Ean vineyard still belongs to Lindemans (now part of Treasury Wine Estates) and would have been source of those old Lindemans "Burgundies". The wine is in the traditional Hunter shiraz style – medium bodied, with deep, sweet fruit flavours, supple, gentle, tannins and a satisfying, earthy undercurrent.
Hesketh Montepulciano 2013
Tscharke vineyard, Stonewell, Western Barossa Valley, South Australia
$25
Three-and-a-half-star/90
The red variety, montepulciano, grows widely across central Italy and is the signature variety of the Abruzzi region, sold under the official appellation "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo". The wines seldom scale the quality heights, but the best provide real drinking satisfaction in an earthy, rustic, savoury style. A few Australian producers now work with montepulciano, including the Tscharke family, who sell part of their Barossa crop to Jonathon Hesketh and Phil Lehmann – the guys behind the Hesketh label. Their appealing wine offers bright, fresh fruit aromas and a medium bodied palate that teases with vibrant fruit, cut by tart, savoury tannins.
Port Phillip Estate Red Hill Chardonnay 2013
Port Phillip Estate vineyard, Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
$35
Four-star/94
On the Mornington Peninsula, Sandro Mosele makes exciting chardonnays and pinot noirs for Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate. They were originally two separate vineyards but now belong to Giorgio Gjergja. He bought Kooyong in 2000, Port Phillip Estate in 2004, and in 2009 opened a remarkable winery-cellar door complex at Red Hill. The new-release Port Phillip shows the riper, fuller flavours of the warm season. In the context of a cool growing region that means varietal flavour reminiscent of just-ripe nectarine, with zingy, grapefruit-like acidity. A spontaneous ferment and maturation in mainly older oak barrels gave the wine its silky texture and delicious flavour seasonings.
Evans and Tate Breathing Space Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Margaret River, Western Australia
$13–$19
Three-and-a-half-star/90
This is one very, very smart wine. For a modest price, it seduces with its sweet, red-berry, floral fragrance and gentle, absolutely delicious palate, reflecting the aroma. It expresses in a very pure, fruity way one part of cabernet's varietal spectrum – attributes that could only come from a proven cabernet region. Fine, soft tannins provide the structure for this light-to-medium bodied, drink-now dry red,
Airde.450 Riesling 2014
Polish Hill River, Clare Valley, South Australia
$9.99
Four-star/92
With grocery and liquor sales of $6 billion in 2014, Aldi lags Woolworths on $41.7 billion and Coles on $29.2 billion. But its sales are growing at triple the rate of its big rivals. And, says Citigroup, Aldi's private-label offerings are hurting the two giants. On the liquor side, that's entirely credible given the value for money offered by the Aldi wines tasted to date. Their riesling from Polish Hill River, a Clare Valley sub-region, impresses for its juicy, lime-like varietal flavour and zippy, dry finish. You could easily pay $15–$20 for this quality, but they offer it for $10.
Pizzini Prosecco 2014
King Valley, Victoria
$20
Three-star/86
Our cool summer drags on. But should the weather warm up, Pizzini Prosecco 2014 offers light and tasty refreshment at a realistic price. Fred and Katrina Pizzini and family specialise in Italian varieties, including north-eastern Italy's prosecco. From it they make what Fred describes as "a fun sparkling wine that is best served while young, crisp, fresh and vibrant". It's a light bodied sparkler, with a unique refreshing lemony tartness.