Top 100 Wines: Light Reds
SA is synonymous with superb wines - so our grape guru Tony Love has done the hard yards and tasted hundreds of bottles to pick the very best at the bottle-shop. Cheers!
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Let's celebrate winter the only way South Australians know how - with a wonderful bottle of red, a hearty meal and best friends. Surrounded by so much great wine, we've done the hard yards and tasted hundreds and hundreds to pick the best. We'll start with 10 light reds, including roses, pinot noirs and a smart early-release 2014 shiraz.
Angove Nine Vines 2014 Rosé
In flash new labelling, this pinky is a regular crowd pleaser while still well respected for its shiraz and grenache core values. This latest outing showing lovely spiced red cherry notes, fresh and zesty energy in the mouth, and genuine fuller flavoured varietal appeal in the finish for more serious dining moments.
★★★★
Riverland
Food: Salmon and risotto
$17
Turkey Flat 2014 Rosé
One of the great go-to roses of the past generation, this blend of grenache, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and dolcetto presents with a pale pink gloss and polish, then fragrant red berry and a faint mint and foresty background aromatic. A medium-powered palate in rose terms, ripe with a light grip, will suit robust entrees.
★★★★1/2
Barossa Valley
Food: Tarragon and thyme chicken
$18
Chaffey Bros Not Your Grandma’s 2014 Rosé
The prettiest of pale, glossy pinks with grenache and mourvedre (aka mataro) delivering in this style a waft of strawberry pith and musk, tight, spicy lines in the mouth, white pepper on apple and strawberry crush with a lip-smacking, more-ish, mineral texture in the finish. Most companionable.
★★★★1/2
Barossa Valley
Food: Crispy-skinned pork belly
$22
Wicks 2013 Pinot Noir
A sub-$20 pinot that delivers spades of varietal interest, its winemakers including Tim Knappstein whose own Hills pilots are highly awarded. This is a bright-eyed style with plenty on show at this rate - lovely cherry fruit with a pinch of dusty spices and soft, savoury tannins in the finish. Very smart; terrific buying.
★★★★
Adelaide Hills
Food: Charcuterie
$20
Battle of Bosworth 2014 Puritan Shiraz
Organically grown and, more precisely for those looking out for it, with no added sulphur dioxide preservative, this catches the eye with vibrant colour then fresh and bouncy, purple to black shiraz grape and wild blueberry aromas, plus a super-juice flavour bomb of a palate. Designed to drink in its youth.
★★★★
McLaren Vale
Food: Chorizo and mushroom pizza
$20
Sidewood 2011 Pinot Noir
A terrific little everyday pinot with a decent array of varietal pleasures — fleshy medium weight allowing its cherry and woody spice, forest and hedgerow notes to shine while it slurps down easily due to its softer style of mouth presence and friendly tannin profile. A smart little pinot for this price.
★★★★
Adelaide Hills
Food: Thyme-crusted grilled chicken thighs
$21
Ashton Hills 2013 Piccadilly Valley Blend No. 2
Revered Hills pinot master Stephen George put together two PV blends in this vintage to show one key block (Blend No. 1) as well as this 50:50 mix with his own estate; the result here more complete right now, fragrant, balanced in earthiness, spice and darker cherry fruits, and the softer in texture. Delicious.
★★★★1/2
Adelaide Hills
Food: Quails, juniper berry sauce
$30
Eddystone Point 2011 Pinot Noir
A new label from the Bay of Fires crew, this wine crafts fruit from several districts into a wonderfully fragrant wine with red cherry/berry fruits and a subtle addition of stem and skin prompted spice. It’s ripe, juicy, full with satisfying flavour and marries its varietal, savoury and secondary layers with complete ease.
★★★★1/2
Tasmania
Food: Eggplant parmigiana
$30
Loom SV 2013 Pinot Noir
While a value style (Long Yarn $17) is full and fruit rich, this is much more a reserve, its more delicate secrets hidden a bit deeper, though eventually fragrant with crimson to dark — spiced cherry and a more tapered spectrum of fruit and savoury elements, medium weighted, subtly styled and most rewarding.
★★★★1/2
Adelaide Hills
Food: Braised veal with olives
$30
Shaw+Smith 2012 Pinot Noir
Captivating potpourri and woody herbs offer a great deal of first-sight attraction here, with clear and focused medium bodied line and length, well-trimmed shape and fresher red berry flavour notes all enhanced by a textural and earthy tannin feel in the finish. A pinot-smart palate should jump at this.
★★★★1/2
Adelaide Hills
Food: Duck breast with porcini mushroom
$45
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