Tasmanian producer House of Arras is a dominant force at Australian wine shows and has been recognised for lifting standards across the Australian sparkling wine industry. This is part of a recently-released collection of different styles and has spent 13 years on lees developing complexity. I shared this bottle of this chardonnay-dominant blend with a recent wine tasting class and all present admired its intensity and complexity. Superb mouthfeel; great work from visionary winemaker Ed Carr, and a terrific present for a lover of bubbles. Marvellous.
With summer just around the corner everyone needs a few bottles like this in the fridge. It's an ideal style for enjoying with a weekend picnic, with friends on the deck or over a Big Bash game on the TV. What I like most about this new release from the Frogmore Creek stable is its freshness and vivacity. While many producers have a bob each way and make wines that sit midway between gris and grigio in style, this is unashamedly made in the northern Italian style with brisk citrus and ripe tropical truit notes, allied to a cool-climate crisp acid finish. Great with seafood, spicy Asian dishes or simply for sipping on a warm evening. $27. https://frogmorecreek.com.au/product/pinot-grigio/
This is the second release of this popular collaboration between Hugh McCullough and Natalie Fryar; a very brisk, very crisp cool-climate riesling made this year from Tamar Valley fruit. The warm 2018 vintage helped in crafting a wine that has undergone some skin contact and was left on yeast lees to add structure and texture. The end result is aromatic and approachable; a riesling packed with citrus freshness aided and abetted by hints of pear and peach. The finish is tangy and bone dry with plenty of length. Highly recommended. Enjoy chilled. Preferably today. $35. https://wellingtonwolfe.com/
