What to drink ... when celebrating
There are plenty of impressive wines with which to raise a toast on those special occasions.
UNDER $25
Friends of Punch Berrys Creek Vineyard Gippsland Noble Riesling 2010 $24
Friends of Punch wines are special: Black Saturday 2009 ripped through James and Claire Lance's Yarra Valley vineyard where they produced wines under the Punch label. While the St Andrews site recovers, friends helped by selling them fruit, hence the current name. And that's worth celebrating. This 2010 offers all the fragrance and flavour of botrytised riesling from saffron, candied peel to honeysuckle. From punched.com.au.
UNDER $40
Tscharke Project Naturalis Montepulciano 2012 $36
Damien Tscharke is a Barossa Valley lad and an innovative, curious winemaker. That means he produces outstanding shiraz, grenache or blends of Mediterranean varieties, including montepulciano. However, Project Naturalis is Tscharke's foray into making a largely unadulterated wine, one that celebrates style, substance and good winemaking. This is all red earth with red fruits, fantastic aromatics, an incredible floral note and a palate with vibrancy and life to it. From tscharke.com.au.
OVER $40
Kooyong Estate Pinot Noir 2011 $48
Less informed bystanders derided 2011 reds from south-east Australia - it was certainly a tough and wet vintage. The best 2011s need time to unfurl. Ferrous, one of Kooyong's single vineyard pinot noirs, is outstanding, although firmly in the splurge category at $75, while its estate, a blend of all three single sites, is very good. This is full of earthy nuances with rhubarb and beetroot to the fore, cherry fruit and a smidge of cedary oak. Cleansing acidity and lip-smacking cranberry tartness meet fine tannins. From portphillipestate.com.au.
SPLURGE
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2004 $275
Today I'm celebrating an occasion that requires drinking my favourite blanc de blancs, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. It's one of the most elegant of champagnes, with this youthful 2004 full of energy and drive. There's persistent bead, a heady aroma of tangy citrus and blossom while the minerally drive on a tight, super fine palate is pure excitement. The price here is the lowest I've found, from champagnegallery.com.au.
This is Jane Faulkner's final What to drink... column.