This month has been very hard to narrow down my recommendations to just a few, and really there was no way I was going to be able to stick to just two! I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a number of wine regions recently…Coonawarra, the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale have all stunned me with the quality of the wine and the wonderful people behind the bottles.
So narrowing down has been tricky but has been made somewhat easier with finding wines that are actually available over in the UK.
WHITES
To kick things off with my whites…Australia has had a poor reputation over the pond for cheap, overly oaked Chardonnays that will, without much effort, give you a pretty nasty headache the next day. But ever the innovators, times have changed and winemakers have moved to fresher, lighter styles (for both reds and whites), with less intervention in the winery and more focus on the vineyard and what it can produce. The results are some wonderful wines, and the quality of the premium offerings is just outstanding.
M3 Chardonnay Shaw + Smith: this wine was one of the first to catch onto the preference for more refined styles. Stone fruit and citrus flavours are evident with crisp acidity, it rounds out with the subtle oak flavours that give intensity and weight to the palate. Elegant and delicious. You can purchase this currently from The Wine Society, Majestic and the lovely people at Philglas & Swiggot (in order of ascending price!).
And if you want to go up a notch I would highly, highly recommend Tolpuddle’s Chardonnay (also owned by Shaw+Smith, and available from The Wine Society and Philglas & Swigott) – this is actually grown in Tasmania which has a cooler climate and is creating some outstanding Chardonnay’s and Pinots. I was impressed I found this as it’s not a big production and has already sold out over here!
REDS
The reds were more of a challenge to source in the UK interestingly enough. I drank some incredible Cabernet in Coonawarra and the people there are just amazing – a wine region minimum 3.5 hours from any major City but one that is well, well worth the trip.
Bowen Estate is a small, family run winery that is making premium Cabernet that will certainly age well. I stocked up on their 2019 Cab and will keep it safely tucked away for a few years yet, the Australian Wine Centre in the UK has a few cases available.
And for value for money and ease of access you really can’t beat these wines from the McLaren Vale:
The Church Block from Wirra Wirra is a Cab, Shiraz, Merlot blend that is a great example of good Aussie wine at a very decent price. Available currently from Waitrose at only £9.99!
And I have to include a recommendation I gave to my parents for a recent weekend away with friends, plus it’s from the winery who made their cellar door a Rubik’s Cube! D’Arenberg d’Arrys Original McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz available at The Wine Society. At 14.5% alcohol it certainly needs time to breath, so open it well before you plan to drink it. I understand it was nicknamed ‘thumper’ by my parents and their pals…need I say more.
Hope you enjoy, cheers!