Ask the wine guy I travel a lot for work and often slip Q a nice bottle in my bag, but always feel let down by hotel glasses. Do you have any tips?
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Oh, snap! I’ve been travelling a lot lately and find that the glasses in hotel rooms are abysmal. Nothing ruins that nice bottle of pinot you’ve carried in hand luggage on to the plane and finally to the hotel than a small, chunky wine glass. If the hotel has a bar, ask for a wine glass – they’re invariably much better than those sitting on top of the mini bar. It may sound a little snobbish, but I’ve been known to travel with a plastic decanter and wine glass to match. ● GOT A QUESTION EMAIL \
bthomas@theweeklyreview.com.au
THE VINE W H AT T O D R I N K W I T H B E N T H O M A S
Logan Ridge of Tears Shiraz 2014 (Orange) $45; 14% My wife loved this. This is cool-climate shiraz filled with dark fruit flavours: blackberry, blueberry and blood. There’s oak, too, which in time will be absorbed into the wine. Rich and balanced, its furry tannins and bright acid are wonderfully structural and seamlessly integrated with its flavour. But it’s the drinkability that’s key – it’s effortless. ● Enjoy with \ Rare roast beef
Lightfoot & Sons Myrtle Point Chardonnay 2015 (Gippsland) $26; 13.2%
Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz 2013 (Victoria) $18; 14.4%
From the Gippsland lakes district, this wine blew me away. Firstly, it smells great. Peaches, green melon, white flower petals and struck match minerality are layered, complex and seamless. Smooth and tasty, there’s a mineral-laced line of acid that adds elegance and focus to the weight and intensity of the flavours. ●
Billi Billi’s a perennial bargain. It smells of oak, spice, cherries and plums, plus a little of a wet stone character known as petrichor. It’s composed and energetic, with a nice blend between juicy cherries and blackberries and rich, ripe plum flavours. Bright and fresh, there’s just the right amount of tannic grip to go with the wine’s easy flow. ●
Enjoy with \ Whiting and a beurre blanc sauce
Enjoy with \ Gammon steaks
BARGAIN BUY Rymill The Local Squire Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (Coonawarra) $14; 13.5% Grapes for this were grown on Coonawarra’s famed Terra Rossa soils. It smells a little meaty, with cassis, blackberry, eucalypt and vanilla aromas – and tastes the same. It’s a juicy, fruity wine that’s made to be drunk now. There’s a nice grip of tannins on the finish. ● Enjoy with \ Pizza
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THE SCORE
10 THE WEEKLY REVIEW \ JULY 20, 2016
ANOTHER DROP? BEN THOMAS’ HAPPY Y HOUR ONLINE EVERY VERY FRIDAY VERY FRIDAY
● 100-95 OUTSTANDING
● 94-92 MUST BUY ● 91-90 MUST ST TR TRY
WE S AY
A perfect wine for slow-cooked meals