HIGHLY COMMENDED Australian red Five Geese Indian File Grenache 2014, McLaren Vale, South Australia (£18.95, Tilley’s Wines): Sumptuous modern Australian varietal Grenache. Petaluma White Label Shiraz 2015, Adelaide Hills, South Australia (£18.99, Fine Wine Partners): A fresher, but still concentrated, style of Aussie Shiraz.
ATAMISQUE SERBAL CABERNET FRANC
GRANT BURGE FILSELL SHIRAZ
Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2017
Barossa Valley, Australia 2015
PETALUMA WHITE LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON Coonawarra, Australia 2015
While Atamisque has many varieties planted in its Tupungato estate vineyards – and while it does a very fine job with all of them, both in blends and as single varietals – Cabernet Franc has become a particular calling card.
Although the man whose name graces the label sold up to Accolade Wines in 2015, Grant Burge Wines is going from strength to strength under a winemaking team of chief winemaker Craig Stansborough and viticulturist Rodney Birchmore.
Importer Las Bodegas even claims that this take on Cabernet Franc is the “is the most exciting and best value example we have tasted from anywhere”.
Certainly the quality of this single-vineyard Shiraz, one of the estate’s top wines from one of the Barossa’s best vineyards, is as high as ever.
The Top 100 judges were also very much taken with it. “Very interesting nose: detailed and enticing with classic Cab Franc qualities,” they said. “On the palate it mixes bright fruit and richness with a savoury and fresh edge. Delightful.”
With different batches of fruit fermented separately and aged for 20 months in a mixture of French and American oak, it’s a wine that “screams old vines”, the Top 100 judges said. “A proper Barossa nose, focused and delicious, with a real gush of rich and spicy flavour.”
Las Bodegas
Fine Wine Partners
Fine Wine Partners
RRP £16.75 ABV 14%
RRP £24.99 ABV 14%
RRP £19.99 ABV 14.5%
One of the great pioneering names of modern Australian wine, Petaluma has played a significant role in bringing some of the country’s finest regions – from the Piccadilly Valley and Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills to Hanlin Hill in Clare and, for this Top 100 winner, Evans Vineyard in Coonawarra. With winemaking now overseen by Andrew Hardy and his team as part of the Accolade Wines stable, this Cabernet is a blend of five different blocks, all vinified separately, giving, the judges said, “a pure Coonawarra Cab. Lovely rich tobacco and cedar nose, and deep purple fruit on the palate. Very elegant and fresh finish. Still young; great value.”
Petaluma Yellow Label B&V Vineyard Shiraz 2015, Adelaide Hills, South Australia (£29.99, Fine Wine Partners): A classy, rich, spicy, fresh mouthful. St Hallett Gamekeepers Grenache-Shiraz-Touriga 2015, Barossa Valley, South Australia (£12.99 Fine Wine Partners): Great value; interesting, tasty blend. Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2015, Barossa Valley, South Australia (£25, Enotria&Coe): Classic Barossa Valley Shiraz: rich, spicy, savoury. Claymore Dark Side of the Moon Shiraz 2015, Clare Valley, South Australia (£16.95, Tilley’s Wines): Sumptuous and savoury dark-fruited fun. Rusty Mutt Shiraz 2012, McLaren Vale, South Australia (£18.95, Tilley’s Wines): Nice to see a bit of age: a touch of leather and savoury flavour. Trentham The Family Nebbiolo 2015, MurrayDarling (£12.99, Seckford Agencies): A point of difference that works in juicy, fragrant style.
Chilean red Caliterra Edición Limitada ‘A’ 2015, Colchagua Valley (£17.55, Hatch Mansfield): Dense and full of classic sweet Chilean black fruit. Oveja Negra Winemakers Selection Cabernet Franc-Carmenère 2017, Maule Valley (£9.99, Hallgarten): Leafy-herbal-infused blackcurrant. Tabalí Talud Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Maipo Valley 2014 (£16.99, Boutinot): Quality classic Maipo Cab with mint and cassis and smooth tannins.
The Wine Merchant Top 100
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