Amazing diversity of wine: Symphony Hill, Tim Adams, Howard Park Abercrombie, Ross Hill Pinnacle
Exceptional flavours from experienced makers showcase the vigour of Aussie wine.
These four labels are a snapshot of the exceptional diversity of wines available in Australia. It would be easy to choose them all from one state, such is the strength of recent offerings, but in the interests of fair play we’ve ranged across the country. It’s perhaps no coincidence that all are made by very experienced makers at family-owned wineries, and are all estate grown and bottled.
Symphony Hill
2014 gewurztraminer $35
One of Australia’s truly remarkable wines has a rich powerful lushness of varietal fresh roses, lychee into tropical fruit aromas. The palate is ripe and full-bodied, showing a creamy texture interwoven with very long, rich flavours of lychee and Turkish delight. This is an ideal introduction if you have never had this variety before. Goes well with Thai or Indian spicy foods
Tim Adams
The Aberfeldy 2012 Clare Valley Shiraz $65
A very elegant wine. The polished seamless aromas show mocha, dark berry fruits, blackberry, and dark chocolate with polish and poise. The palate has the requisite fruit sweetness, dark fruit flavours and oak complexity, balance and fine tannins. The style is earnest and understated, and the polished texture less dependent on ripe swagger than many in the neighbourhood. Good now, but even better after 2018.
Howard Park Abercrombie
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River $125
Very good cabernet definition with cassis blackcurrant blueberry fruit notes, appealing spice notes, briar and subtle soya sauce oak spices. The palate is fresh, generous and ripe with understated oak complexity. The drinking pleasure is already on show: soft fleshy front palate, ripe and full in the middle mouth with blackcurrant, cedar fruit glowing in warm notes of fine grained French oak flavour to close. Offers immediate drinkability but will also age very gracefully.
Ross Hill Pinnacle Series
2014 Orange Cabernet Sauvignon $40
You can wait years to find such extraordinary fragrance in a wine. Often these aromas do not follow through; here the mouthfeel is exceptional, starting with a tip-of-the-tongue sheath of silky tannins that keep on gliding satin smooth for the length of your mouth. Fruit flavours unfold cool climate cranberry, boysenberry and blueberry splashed in rose water all the while flowing effortlessly to the finish thanks to fine tannins. Drink young to catch the magic.
Rob Geddes is the author of Australian Wine Vintages ($34.95), now in its 34th edition. robgeddesmw.com