What to drink ... in autumn
With the weather beginning to cool, why not try these varieties to warm you up?
UNDER $20
Tahbilk Viognier 2012 $17
As leaves on deciduous trees turn red and gold and night temperatures drop, welcoming autumn is best done with a glass of red, right? Not necessarily. Whites with texture like chenin blanc or Rhone whites including viognier make great autumnal drinking. Such wines are a perfect accompaniment to richer dishes, so while the tagine is cooking, pour a glass of this pleasing 2012 viognier. There's a hint of tell-tale apricot fruit and kernel plus refreshing lemon balm, citrus and ginger spice, with a slick, round and enticing palate. Cool it rather than chill it. From tahbilk.com.au.
UNDER $20
Calo Tempranillo Rioja 2010 $17
A big glass of Spanish tempranillo and some chilli con carne are good bedfellows on a cool autumn night and if the recipe calls for red wine, then use this, too. It's a ripper drink for the price. It has loads of bright and ripe sweet cherry cola fragrance, licorice, exotic spice and that's just on the nose. The oak melds in with the juicy palate and fruit, although it is definitely savoury, with plenty of acidity and dusty, grainy tannins. Uncomplicated and best enjoyed over the next five years. Try wineboxwarehouse.com.au
UP TO $40
Mac Forbes Strathbogie Ranges RS14 Riesling $30
This is one super-complex, totally delicious and refined riesling. The RS14 denotes 14 grams of residual sugar each litre but it is not overly sweet, just on the finish, is more textural and round and balances out the wine. Beautiful, enticing aromas of blossom, ginger, lemon drops and what a palate! It's luscious, slinky and smooth, with a long, persistent finish. This is the finest riesling I've tasted from young Mac Forbes and it's up there as one of the more thrilling styles made in Australia. From Brighton Bay Cellars.
SPLURGE
Hurley Vineyard Garamond Pinot Noir 2010 $65
Nothing smells more like autumn than pinot noir and wild mushrooms. While the fungi are just starting to appear, at least this pinot is available now. Hurley only grows that variety, with Garamond one of three single vineyards; it's usually my favourite for its sheer elegance, precision and depth. The 2010 has a heady fragrance of damp earth, rhubarb and cinnamon that follows through on the palate. It builds with the sweet cherry fruit enveloped by supple fine tannins with a long finish. A classy drink. From Armadale Cellars.