The recent fires in Australia might be shocking and devastating, but not too much vineyard land has been lost, unless you're located in the Adelaide Hills, or the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Unfortunately, there has been some human tragedy, but lots of animal life has suffered including the lovable, iconic Koala bear.
As it's "Australia Day" on January 26th, it would be worth thinking that any Australian wine consumed here in the UK is going, in some way, to help alleviate the situation. So, not the normal celebration, but if you need some wine this week, then why not make it an Oz bottle?
Here's a selection of our favourites:
Peppertree Shiraz is fragrant and exotically spicy. Produced by top Clare Valley winery, Mitchell. £15.75 per bottle.
Another great wine from Mitchell is their Water Vale Riesling It's got intense lemon & lime fruit, minerals and a beautiful floral aroma. All this for £13.99 And it's dry!
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Brooding, dark chocolate, cassis, plum and firm tannins typical of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. Move over, Bordeaux! £28.99 gets you a perfect red to go with roast beef.
The other, classic Western Australia style is an oaked Chardonnay. Juniper Estate Chardonnay is very complex, with notes of nectarine, peach and pear fruits along with barrel ferment flavours of cashew nuts and smoke. Rated 92 points by James Halliday. A bottle will set you back just £20 !
A couple more wines from the Clare Valley, north of Adelaide, are made by Kilikanoon
The first, their Semillon, is quite rare.
The Pearce Road is really rich, with lemon curd, oak spice and cut grass flavours. This wine will age for at least 10 years, giving a big, fat, waxy textured style that is like no other! Also rated 92 points by James Halliday. £18.99 a bottle for this one.
Kilikanoon's red, the Killerman GSM is a blend of Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro that offers up notes of dark cherries, mocha, smoke, rose petal and liquorice. Silky texture that just slips down so easily for £14.99
If sparkling wines are your favourite, then Tasmania can offer some superb examples...
Now with 10 years' ageing, the 2009 Pipers Brook Vintage is a traditionally bottle fermented wine with lots of lees' ageing character (as per Champagne). Aromas of brioche, shortbread and oyster-shell burst from the glass with just a few bubbles up your nose! Grab a bottle for £20
Jansz Vintage is roughly a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Another "bottle fermented" wine with 5 years' ageing before release. Lemon, peach and hazelnut from the Chardonnay is perfectly matched with the Pinot Noir's rose water and strawberries. £26 per bottle.
We've got many more "beaut" bottles in stock.
Come and see them instore at #FraziersWineStudio this week.