Freycinet 2021 Botrytis

 

My wife made a delightful plum crumble using fruit from our garden, and this delicious "stickie" from the East Coast of Tasmania was an excellent partner for it, with its delightful sweetness allied to bright acidity on the finish. With a distinctive label by the late Tasmanian-based artist Tom Samek, this is an unusual blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, schonberger and riesling grapes. It a fresh and vibrant dessert wine with sweet citrus and stone fruit flavours, but it would also work well as a counterpoint to pates, terrines and cheeses. Stunning value at $35 for 500ml. http://freycinetvineyard.com.au/

Sinapius 2022 Esmé Gamay

This is the perfect lighter-style red wine for enjoying chilled with a light lunch on a warm summer day. I know, because I had a couple of glasses over lunch last week and was mightily impressed. I'm always surprised we don't see more gamay in Australia - the Beaujolais grape is ideally suited to our lifestyle - and Linda Morice has certainly cracked the code with the a wine that has delightful vibrancy. The fruit is estate grown at Pipers River in a high-density vineyard, and underwent whole-bunch carbonic maceration for three weeks before being matured in large format oak for seven months. It is unfined and unfiltered. Think fresh red berry characters along with lovely length, bright acid and palate persistence. $42. https://sinapius.com.au/

Jansz 2014 Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvée

 

Tasmania is well known for producing many of Australia's finest sparkling wines - and this small-batch release from Jansz is right up with the best of them, offering delightful freshness (thanks to recent disgorgement) allied to palate complexity (from years of bottle development). This wine is only made in the best vintages with a few bottles held back to age for an extra four years for added depth of flavour. A traditional blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, this is a Tasmanian classic at a very fair price. $60. ww.jansz.com.au/

Kate Hill 2022 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Sauvignon blanc is back baby - thanks to cool-climate wines like this one that have turned down the herbaceous dial and upped the tropical fruit flavours a tad. I do occasional shifts at Kate Hill's cellar door (bias declared) - and this recent release has surprised quite a few tasters with its immediate accessibility and appeal. It spent six months in aged oak barrels to add textural elements, but retains fruit-driven appeal with minerality, tropical and citrus notes and just a hint of toasty oak. One for enjoying chilled on a warm day, matched with seafood or salads. $33. www.katehillwines.com.au/