Fermented and aged in concrete eggs, as its name suggests, this is a wonderful blend of Malbec with a little Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Michelini brothers. Typically light and refreshing, with sappy, tangy, black cherry flavours, bright acidity and no wood at all. Modern Argentina at its refreshing, spicy best.
Retailer: Slurp
2014 De Bortoli La Bohème Act Three, Pinot Gris & Friends, Yarra Valley, Victoria
( £13.95, 13.5%, Slurp )One for opera buffs, or possibly just bohemians, this is an Aussie take on an Alsace-style blend, based on Pinot Gris. Aromatic and appealing, with orchard fruit and spring blossom on the nose, it segues into waxy, pear and apple spice flavours and a tangy finish.
2007 Mount Pleasant Cellar Aged Elizabeth Semillon, Hunter Valley
( £14.95-£17.80, 11%, Berry Bros & Rudd, Hedonism, Slurp )Not many white wines age as wll as Hunter Valley Semillon and this is well up to speed, as its haul of medals (plastered all over the front label) testifies. It’s just starting to shift into another gear, developing the toasty notes that are so typical of the style. Refreshing, waxy and taut with custard, honeysuckle and citrus peel notes. Long and satisfying.
2012 Pewsey Vale, Riesling, Eden Valley
( £13.30, 12.5%, Slurp, Winedirect )Pewsey Vale, Yalumba’s Eden Valley outpost, makes some of my favourite Aussie Rieslings. They are good young but develop stylshly in bottle. This is crisp, focused and tangy with lime and pink grapefruit flavours and a stony, pithy backbone of acidity. Long and focused on the palate.
2008 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £28.99, 14.5%, Slurp, Wine Direct )You could open this impressive Cabernet/Shiraz blend right now, but you’d be missing out on what the wine will do in bottle. This is the top red from Yalumba in most vintages and that’s the case here. It’s rich and deeply coloured, but not over-ripe or blowsy in the slightest. Structured and sweet, with nuances of blueberry, mint, chocolate and vanilla, polished, fine-grained tannins a a long, satisfying finish.
2011 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 14%, Ocado, Slurp, Tesco, The Co-operative )Grenache should be all about sun-kissed drinkability, which is exactly what you get in the bottle here. It’s quite pale in colour (as Grenache can be), with notes of Asian spices, red fruits and deftly handled oak. Savoury, peppery and deceptively forward, this is a wine that develops with time in the glass.
2006 Yalumba, The Octavius, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £48.99, 14.5%, Harrods, Noel Young Wines, Slurp, Winedirect )Serious, strapping Shiraz, but with a feminine side, this is a seriously delicious Aussie red, which encapsulates the best of the Barossa, both modern and traditional. It’s ripe, soft and sweet, with succulent blackberry and raspberry fruit, a hint of coconutty oak and appealing bottle maturation. Spicy, rich, yet very well balanced.
2009 Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £26.99, 14.5%, Harrods, Selfridges, Slurp )A candidate for the title of Australia’s best Viognier (and that’s not meant to sound like faint praise), this is true to its varietal, but in a subtler way than many New World examples. White flowers, some cream, a hint of spice, nuanced oak and enough acidity to keep the wine tingling nicely on the palate.
2012 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 12.5%, Auswinesonline.co.uk, Noel Young Wines, Slurp, Winedirect )An Eden Valley Riesling that rarely disappoints, this is as reliable as ever, a dry, aromatic, minerally white with notes of apple and pear and an underlying seam of fresh limes. The wine will get toastier with age, if you can keep your hands off it.
2009 Yalumba Chardonnay FDW, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
( £17.99, 13.5%, Noel Young Wines, Slurp, Winedirect )Typical (and gratifyingly so) of the top end Chardonnays emerging from Australia’s best cool climate areas at the moment, this is all about structure and acidity rather than easy, up front fruit flavours. Notes of lemongrass, vanilla and citrus fruit are nicely intertwined on the palate, wrapped in a creamy, lees-derived texture.
2009 Yalumba Shiraz/Viognier, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 14%, Harrods, Slurp, Winedirect )The Viognier is more obvious in this wine than it is in most Côte Rôties, but that’s part of the style. It’s ripe, soft and slightly apricotty, with supple red fruits, touches of oak. liquorice and blackberry and medium weight tannins.