Wine guide
Under $20
Mr Mick Clare Valley Rose 2014 $14-$16
Score 88
Value Good
Made from sangiovese and tempranillo, this fresh, clean pink wine has aromas suggesting blossom and red berries. It's simple and soft with an easy-drinking balance and a lip-smacking finish. (Screw cap; 11.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? No.
Food idea Prosciutto and melon.
Stockists include Summer Hill Wine Shop (Sydney); Vaucluse Hotel, Richmond (Melbourne)
Margan Hunter Valley Semillon 2014 $16-$18
Score 89
Value Good
Margan Hunter Valley Semillon is a little riper and fuller in youth than most. Aromas of lemon curd, steel and smoke lead into a round, clean palate with a fresh zip on the finish. (Screw cap; 12.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over three years.
Food idea Prawn brochettes.
Stockists include Dan Murphy's; Belrose Hotel (Sydney)
$20-$35
Xanadu Margaret River Chardonnay 2013 $33-$35
Score 93
Value Good
Xanadu's 2013 Chardonnay seamlessly combines white-peach, citrus and butterscotch aromas with mealy complexity and subtle spicy oak. Succulent and flowing, it has a good structure and a long, creamy finish. (Screw cap; 13.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over four years.
Food idea Salmon with sorrel sauce.
Stockists include Melbourne Wine Store, St Kilda Road (Melbourne); Ainslie Cellars (Sydney).
De Bortoli Villages Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2013 $20-$22
Score 91
Value Fantastic
This delicious Yarra Valley pinot is well priced. Floral, red berry and beetroot aromas have a stemmy hint. It tastes light and fresh, yet a supple depth lifts it above most $20 pinot noirs, finishing long and fragrant. (Screw cap; 13 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over three years.
Food idea Tagliatelle with shredded duck.
Stockists include David Jones, Sydney; Piedimontes, Fitzroy North (Melbourne)
Indulge yourself
Pirie Vintage 2009 $48-$50
Score 93
Value Good
A top Tassie sparkler, it has stonefruit and citrus characters, pie crust and meringue notes that run from the nose through a smooth palate of nicely integrated, sustained flavours and tangy balance. (Cork; 12 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? No need.
Food idea Chicken-liver mousse.
Stockists include Harry & Frankie, Port Melbourne; Welcome Hotel, Rozelle (Sydney).
Trinchero Cloud's Nest Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $100-$105
Score 94
Value Good
This dense, concentrated Californian cabernet has ripe black fruit, dark chocolate and vanillin aromas, a full body, great depth and length of flavour, finishing with balanced cedary tannins. Impressive. (Cork; 14.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over five years plus.
Food idea Roast beef.
Stockists includenswadmin@vhws.com.au.
Wine of the week
Kirrihill Vineyard Selection Series Clare Valley Watervale Riesling 2014 $19-$21
Score 93
Value Fantastic
Clare Valley Riesling is an Australian classic, and thankfully you can still enjoy authentic regional identity and quality without spending too much. This bargain-priced example offers elegant floral, lime juice and apple tart aromas leading through an intense, steely, dry palate of finesse and persistence. (Screw cap; 12 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? One to eight years.
Food idea Vietnamese rice-paper rolls.
Stockists include IGA, St Ives (Sydney); Strathmore Cellars, Strathmore (Melbourne).
Brew
Samuel Adams Boston Lager $3-$5 355ml
Score 93
Value Good
This dispels the notion that all United States brews are innocuous mouthwash. Amber coloured, it has a fruity, malty nose, a smooth, sumptuous palate and savoury hoppy backbone. (4.8 per cent alcohol.)
Stockists include Vintage Cellars; Dan Murphy's.
Something different
San Pellegrino Sanbitter $15-$17 for a pack of 10 x 100ml bottles
Score 93
Value Good
If you want to avoid alcohol, but like Italian bittersweet aperitifs such as Campari and soda, try this. Aromatic with herbs, sweet spices and bitter orange peel, it tastes sweetly of cherries and citrus with a biting bitter overtone. (No alcohol.)
Stockists include LaManna Direct, Essendon Fields (Melbourne); Norton St Grocer, Leichhardt (Sydney).