The Good Wines November 2017
The Good Wines November 2017. Drink as your wine guy does. At least until I get to know your palate. Then the 3 bottles per month are tailored to your palate.
Weekday Wine
Vino Intrepido Blood of My Blood Sangiovese Heathcote 2016
What happens when wine is made by a podcaster, traveller of the known and unknown wine world, father and nice guy to boot? You get Vino Intrepido. James Scarcebrook aka The Intrepid Wino is a busy lad who loves wine. In 2016, he started a project for his interest and fun to see what it is like to make wine. And to see if he can make the wines express what he had in his head. In 2017, the range expanded from one batch to several and this is the first release.
The fruit for this wine came from Vinea Marson’s vineyards. With such great provenance, the key is to not mess it up. And a job well done it is. Plums and cherries from the first sniff, there are hints of salumi, chocolate and earth. The palate has good flesh and hints of acid and tannic bite. There is a denseness to this wine that I love and although it is drinking well now, I feel in a couple of years it will be more mellow and savoury. Serve with mushroom risotto.
Weekend Wine
Merricks Estate Thompson’s Lane Mornington Peninsula Shiraz 2010
The cornerstone of Merricks Estate is estate-grown wines, aged in the cellar before release. The original vineyard was established in 1982 and allows for the production of beautiful wines made from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Stunning wines and so well priced for what you get.
This is exactly what I want from cool-climate Shiraz. First of all, the perfume – violets and plums with a hint of white pepper. Then the palate – fleshy black cherries, nice weight on the mid-palate and a long finish. The structure helps to invigorate your palate with softened tannins and elegant acidity. Drinking well from now and will sit on this plateau for a decade or more. This would complement something gamey.
Special OccasionWine
Rudi Pichler Wachau Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2014
Rudi Pichler is motivated to find outstanding sites that will allow him to make outstanding wine. Since his family has been producing wine in Wachau since 1731, he’s in a good place to do this. Currently, the estate has 12.5 hectares of vineyards with some grower fruit too. Gruner Veltliner is the focus here with Riesling, Weissburgunder and a few other varieties too.
I love Gruner and this wine sums up everything lovely about it. This is a wine that will build intensity with time in bottle or your glass, it is not meant to jump out and smack you on the face. It has a subtle perfume, white pepper, dough, floral notes, grapes and melons. The texture in the mouth is outstanding. I paired this with La Tur from Richmond Hill Café and Larder. It was a winning combination. But you can easily pair Gruner with anything you would a dry Riesling or Pinot Gris. Drink from now or cellar until after 2021.
