What to drink with ... lamb
For that perfect match at your next dinner party, what you need is a mix of subtle spice and cool precision.
UP TO $25
Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2012 $25
Here's another impressive and inexpensive pinot noir that punches well above its weight. And ain't that good news for pinot lovers. It's delicately fragrant at first, with woodsy spice and star anise with damp forest-floor notes, then it opens up with a burst of raspberries and cherry fruit, but it's savoury on the palate. Soft, ripe tannins and cleansing acidity complete this medium-bodied, easy-drinking pinot sourced from Yarra Valley fruit. A fresh and approachable pinot noir such as this matches brilliantly with pink-cooked lamb cutlets. From innocentbystander.com.au.
UP TO $40
Monsanto Chianti Classico 2009 $33
Reds that have plenty of natural acidity without being overly extracted or heavy work well with lamb dishes such as rich moussaka – think Greek agiorgitiko or Italian aglianico or sangiovese. So, a wine made from the latter? This chianti classico from Monsanto is in a neat drinking spot and has a neat price to match. Give this some air and it reveals plenty of savoury notes, dried herbs, spicy-red cherries and plums, and hints of violets and liquorice. It's medium-weighted, with lovely sangiovese tartness and good acidity with penetrating tannins. From Boccaccio Cellars.
UP TO $40
Marchesi Alfieri La Tota Barbera D'Asti 2011 $35
Marchesi Alfieri is a Piedmontese producer it focuses on barbera, although nebbiolo and pinot noir are also grown on the estate. La Tota is its more accessible, everyday-drinking barbera, and it's a beauty. Deep purple and inky red, it's medium-bodied and supple with a core of plump, red fruit mixed with subtle spice and a woodsy and earthy fragrance with ripe yet quite fine tannins, and has some grip on the finish. La Tota is a composed, neat barbera and a delicious drink. The wine's acidity and softness on the palate make this a perfect drink with barbecued lamb. From Prince Wine Store.
SPLURGE
Bellwether Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 $55
Sue Bell has a lot of experience making Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, but more than that she loves the variety and understands its nuances – as her Bellwether 2008 attests. While this will age for at least another decade, it's a gorgeous, complex and youthful cabernet with its blackcurrant fragrance and cedary spice from the oak alongside a heady mix of chocolate and boot polish, earthiness and currants. It's full-bodied with poised and precise tannins, with fresh acidity resulting in an incredibly lively and wonderful drink. From bellwetherwines.com.au.