In case you didn’t make it to the Australia Day Tasting in London – and won’t manage to get to Edinburgh or Dublin either - we asked some somms who did for their picks of the day.
Jim Barry Assyrtiko 2017, Clare Valley
'The worry here was that this was going to be a pale facsimile of good Santorini Assyrtiko, but hey! What do you know? Bloody delicious! Clean, zippy, with mineral-driven weight and crisp white fruit. Genuinely cracking stuff.'
£14.32, Negociants UK, 01582 797510
Bird in Hand Chardonnay 2016, Adelaide Hills
Bright, fresh and focused with peachy lime overtones and a soft finish - a perfect Aussie Chardonnay.
£12.75, East Street Wine Co, 07774 453070
Mac Forbes Yarra Junction Pinot Noir 2016, Yarra Valley
I had a few favourites at the ADT – Pewsey Vale Riesling (Negociants UK) and Alpha Box and Dice’s Nebbiolo (Boutinot) were both very good. But if I had to be pick one it would be Mac Forbes’ Pinot. This is the coolest of his vineyards and it’s a delicate yet vibrant wine that shows a lovely balance and length. A great wine on its own as well as with food.
£24.10, Clark Foyster Wines, 020 8819 1458
Penley Estate Mythology Atlas Shiraz 2015, Coonawarra
This is a Shiraz with a racy acidity and a deep concentration of fresh fruit, backed up by an amazing note of anise and pink pepper.
£8.45, Amathus Drinks, 0208 951 9840
Deep Woods Estate 'Hillside' Cabernet / Merlot / Petit Verdot 2014, Margaret River
Rich and intense colour, with typical dark fruit expected from a Bordeaux blend plus an extra shot of under-ripe capsicum, leaf and liquorice, no doubt from the Petit Verdot! A stand-out wine from the Margaret River. Chewy tannins with crunchy acidity lending a lean austerity to an otherwise rich and full bodied wine.
£10.85, Carson Wines, 020 3261 0927
Ten Minutes by Tractor, Judd Chardonnay 2015, Mornington Peninsula
They were showing three single vineyard Chardonnays and the Judd Vineyard was my favourite. Subtle and toasted with intense aromatics, it has a full-bodied palate of stone fruit and yellow fruit - nectarines and figs - with flint following up behind. Expressive, rich and powerful, but also multi-layered and elegant with a stylish finish.
£33.85, Bancroft Wines, 020 7232 5440
All prices ex-VAT
